Service with a Smile
by Coeur Al'Aran
Summary: When Jaune's forged transcripts were rebuffed, his only option was to return home in disgrace or forge a new life in Vale. Opening a diner was an impetuous decision, being good at it a stroke of luck. Becoming the favourite haunt for students, teachers and criminals alike…? That was neither, but it sure did keep things interesting. Wasn't the civilian life supposed to be easier?
1. Chapter 1

**Here is the new story, Service with a Smile. It will replace Entertainer, and as you may be aware, it will be updated every** _ **two**_ **weeks instead of one. This is because the weeks in between will have a different story; Captain Dragon. The first chapter of that will be out next week.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

* * *

"Jaune's…?"

Ruby looked up at the sign clumsily secured over the door and front window of the shop and tilted her head to the side. It was a new place for sure, because she'd come down here last week for dust, and the shopfront had been boarded up. It looked like it was going to be a diner or a café, at least judging from the lights and tables she could see inside. Normally, she wouldn't have been too interested in that, or in going into a place like this on her own, but her stomach chose that moment to remind her of just how empty it was.

She clutched it with both hands. "Ugh..."

Stupid Yang and her stupid motorbike. This was all her fault.

Well, the new shop was conveniently timed if nothing else. Ruby looked around for her sister, and sighed when she realised she'd be stuck going in on her own. She hesitated, then mentally slapped herself in the face. Sure, she was a little socially awkward, but walking into a diner and ordering some food wasn't exactly a high pressure situation. Ruby checked her purse, grinning as she saw she had enough lien after her recent dust purchases.

The door was light brown, as was the front of the shop, with wooden panels leading into glass windows that took up most of it. As she stepped inside, a tiny bell tinkled over her head, and she looked around. The interior was well-lit and open, with about three or four round tables scattered around, and some longer ones against the windows, looking outside. There were stools and seats at then, but the counter was suspiciously empty of food.

There was also a blonde guy struggling with a large cardboard box. His blue eyes blinked as he noticed her.

"Huh, I thought the door sign said closed?"

Ruby's smile twitched. Her eyes shot back to the door, noticing that it said open, but quickly realising on the other side it would say closed. The side facing the street…

She hadn't looked! She'd come into a closed shop, basically _broken in_ for all it mattered, and was now faced with someone who worked there, who was clearly busy – _and_ it looked like the diner wasn't even ready yet. Her mouth opened. A squeak came out.

 _Oh, there's the social anxiety,_ her mind commented. It was quick to catch up with her panic. _Abort, abort. Just smile and say sorry. No, run away as fast as you can, he'll never catch you. Or better, say something like Yang would. Wait, no, don't do anything Yang would!_

Ruby's entire body shook as she tried to decide which piece of advice to follow and what to do. Her eyes widened, her lips quivering.

 _DO SOMETHING!_

"Hi, I'm Ruby!"

Right then, right there, she'd never wished for a Grimm attack more in her life. Heat crept up her neck and to her ears, her mind already in preparation with an apology of epic proportions, and maybe a few rants she'd give Yang later for abandoning her. She'd never been so embarrassed in her life. This could _not_ get any worse.

She should have known not to tempt fate.

The guy turned towards her and took a step forward. His leg hit a chair, and she watched in slow motion as he cried out and fell forwards, the box hurtling from his hands and rushing at her. Her instincts kicked in immediately. The awkwardness vanished as she surged forwards with unnatural speed, catching the box before it could fall and securing it on a table with a wide smile.

He, on the other hand, slammed face-first onto the floor.

Ruby stared at him.

He didn't move.

"Why did I catch the box instead of him…?"

Yang was never going to let her live this down.

/-/

"I'm _so_ sorry," Ruby said, for what must have been the tenth time. That was fine though, since it just showed how much she meant it. "I didn't mean to come in and startle you. I'm really sorry!"

Eleven times sorry, in fact.

"Ha ha, it's fine," the blonde guy laughed. He was sat on one of his own seats, a pack of ice held to his face and a bit of a developing bruise on the skin underneath. With how fair his skin and hair was, the discolouration was really obvious. "It was an accident, and I'm the one who fell over. All you did was say hello."

Ruby let out a long sigh of relief, slumping a little in her own seat as the adrenaline wore off. The moment he'd collapsed, she'd shot into action – and then reversed before she could flee as her conscience kicked in and she reminded herself a hero didn't leave someone in trouble. Mom would have never forgiven her for it, so she'd bit her lip and gone back in to help. Luckily, she'd been able to find some ice in several bags within his freezer, and wrapped those in some table cloths. He had a lot of those lying about since the shop was new.

That he'd woken up was a good thing. That he apparently didn't blame her for what was totally her fault was even better.

"I didn't realise the shop was closed," she said. "I guess I wasn't thinking straight. I'm sorry about coming in and everything."

"And I've told you it's no problem." He laughed and shook his head, then winced. "Okay, no sudden movements. I guess I'm a bit dizzy. Anyway, I should have locked the door, and I shouldn't have been carrying something heavy when I couldn't see ahead of me. Thanks for catching that, by the way."

"Oh, no problem!" Ruby smiled, happy to have been of use. "It's my job to help people. When I'm not making them fall over and knock themselves out, I mean." Ruby blinked as she realised what she'd just said. She slapped a hand into her forehead. "Ignore me. I'm bad at talking to people."

She always had been, and Yang's help hadn't quite fixed it. In fact, it had made things worse, mostly because of how Yang tried to introduce her to older people, and they were obviously only being friendly because they wanted to impress Yang. She'd only been able to make a few friends of her own because they were just as awkward, and they'd sort of just been lumped together for school assignments. Friends by default or something like that.

"Actually, I'm kinda the same," the guy said, chuckling. "I don't really know how to talk to people, which probably sounds silly since I'm opening up a café and I'll have to talk to customers. It's a bad idea, I know, but I just-" He paused. "And… I'm rambling again, aren't I?" He groaned into his ice pack, but this time it was in mortification. "I'm such a nerd. I can't even talk to a customer."

Ruby's head perked up.

Was he… was he like her?

"Do you start to talk about a random topic?" she asked.

"Yeah, and usually one that no one else is interested in."

"I talk about weapons and guns."

"I talk about what advice my Mom and Dad gave me." He looked away with a nervous laugh. "It's not always the best advice."

What were the chances? Ruby laughed delightedly, rocking on her seat. "Wow, I can't believe I found someone as socially awkward as me. That's so cool!"

"Is it, though?"

"W-Well sure, yeah." Not that they were both practically useless, but it was awesome that the guy she'd maybe almost gotten killed wasn't going to hold it over her head. "My name's Ruby. What's yours?"

"Oh geez, I didn't even introduce myself." He slapped a hand to his forehead, then cried out as he hit his bruise. Only when he'd stopped wincing did he answer her. "The name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet and rolls off the tongue."

She wasn't quite so sure of that, and was about to ask – but for a different detail that caught her attention.

"Jaune…? Wait, you mean you _own_ this place?"

"Well, yeah." He tilted his head to the side. "What did you think?"

"T-That you worked here, or that you were the son of the owner…"

"Heh, no. It's just me."

Oh crud. Ruby shifted in her seat, suddenly feeling nervous all over again. Here was a man just opening up his business and she'd come in, distracted him, and was now wasting his time talking when he probably just wanted to get on with what he was doing.

"I can leave if you want me to?"

"What?"

"If I'm in your way…"

"No, no." Jaune waved his hands. "You're not in my way or being a bother. Actually, maybe this is good. I've been terrified of what it'll be like to talk to customers. I've got no idea what to do or say. How about you help me?" His smile froze. "I mean if you're not busy, that is. I bet you've got places to be, right?"

Ruby dared to smile, "I'm fine if you are. I only came by because-"

Her stomach grumbled loudly.

"You were hungry?" Jaune finished with a laugh. "I don't have much in the way of food since we're not officially open, but I can get us some snacks if you want."

"No, it's fine." Ruby's said, but her lie was proven as such when her stomach rumbled again. She glared down at it. She'd been betrayed!

"It doesn't sound fine. Let me see what I've got."

It took Jaune about ten minutes to find something, mostly because he had to open several cases and boxes, but eventually he came back with a thick tub of ice-cream. Not exactly a meal by anyone's standards, but Ruby wasn't just anyone, and her eyes lit up.

"Thank you~" she said, digging into her bowl with a spoon. "Ah, I didn't have anything to eat because I was waiting for my sister, but she's vanished and I have no idea where she went. She has her motorbike that we used to get here," she explained around a mouthful of strawberry ice-cream. "I can't get home without her. Ugh, this is so like her!"

"You don't live in Vale?"

"Nope, we live in Patch. But I'll be living in Vale soon," Ruby said excitedly. She hopped in her seat. "I'm joining Beacon Academy in a couple of days, so I'll be here full time. Oooh, I can't wait!"

Jaune smiled. "Beacon, huh?"

"Uh-huh." She nodded furiously. "I'm only fifteen, but I'm good, and Ozpin – that's the headmaster – saw me take down this super bad criminal. It was amazing. I was all _kapow_ , and _wazahh_!" She adopted some poses to show him. "And he was all oh no, I must run away! Then he got away, but not before I showed how awesome I was and got accepted into Beacon." Ruby smiled proudly. "I'm going to be a huntress-in-training, and then a real huntress. How awesome is that!?"

"That sounds… really amazing." His voice was soft and distracted. He let out a long sigh, and Ruby's hand, spoon and ice-cream in it, gently fell to her plate.

"What's wrong? Did I say something bad?"

"It's not that," he said. "It's just… you'll think it silly, but I actually wanted to be a huntsman as well. It was my dream growing up."

Ruby smiled. "Then why not try for it? If you want to be a huntsman, you totally can!"

"I can't, Ruby."

"Why not…?"

"Because I applied already, and Ozpin turned me down."

Ruby's smile froze. She had no idea what to say. That wasn't an unusual thing for her, but this felt far worse. Even as socially awkward as she was, it wasn't hard to see that talking about being let into the very school your friend had been denied would be bad – and oh good lord, she'd boasted about how she got in two years younger as well. Her eyes widened and her mind went blank.

"It's fine," Jaune said, sensing her panic, or maybe she was just that obvious. "I wasn't really strong enough to get in, and I guess the headmaster knew. I'm not upset." He smiled. "Well, I guess I kind of am, but not at you."

Ruby's head fell onto the table. "I'm _so_ sorry…"

"W-Whoa, I said it was fine. I'm okay with it." Jaune waved his hands wildly, unsure what to do with the distraught girl. "H-Here, have some more ice-cream. Would you like some wafer?"

Ruby managed to convince him she didn't, even if she couldn't convince him it was her at fault for accidentally insulting him. She licked some more ice-cream off her spoon, unsure if she should say or do something about what she'd learned.

It was a complicated topic, and she wasn't good at those.

On the one hand, Jaune was pretty cool – _and_ he'd given her ice-cream. Those were nice things, and she felt fairly certain he was a nice guy. If he wanted to be a huntsman, then that was great. The world needed more of those, and she could imagine him being brave like her Mom was. A part of her wanted to help him, and also felt bad that she'd been taken on where he was rejected. But on the other hand…

What if he _was_ too weak to be a huntsman? She'd always felt people should follow their dreams no matter what, but if it led to her new friend getting hurt or killed…? She didn't want that. Things were easier when they were black or white, which was why she wanted to be a huntress so much in the first place. There wasn't much in the way of moral questions when it came to Grimm. This was much harder, and she didn't know what to say.

"I didn't know what to do after I got the letter saying no," Jaune began. He'd started speaking before she could gather her thoughts, but she listened closely. "I was really upset at first, like _really_ upset. I got angry, then defeated, then angry again. I didn't know what to do. I thought about going back home, but I didn't want to tell my family what happened. I'd told them I was coming to Vale to make a new life for myself, and giving up so soon would make me look like an idiot."

"Would they not take you back?" she asked quietly.

"Oh no, they'd take me back in a heartbeat." He scratched the back of his head and laughed. "It's just that I couldn't bring myself to go back. I've always been kind of the useless one, so I wanted to show them I could do better. They never asked me to, but I guess I felt like I had to… or wanted to. I'm not really sure." He shrugged helplessly, and then gestured to his surroundings. "In the end, I decided I'd try something else instead. This was… uh… kind of a weird decision. Two of my sisters worked in a diner, so I guess I thought it would be easy. I put all the money I had into renting this place, then buying some stuff to get started. It's sink or swim now."

Yikes, and she thought she had it bad with high dust prices! Jaune was basically throwing himself into the wild and trying to make something – anything – stick. Ruby looked down at her bowl, suddenly feeling even guiltier for not only distracting him, but now mooching off him as well.

"It's stupid, I know…"

"It's not stupid," Ruby whispered.

"Huh?"

"It's not stupid," Ruby repeated, louder this time. Her head lifted and her eyes bored into his. "I think it's brave! I think it's cool, too."

"C-Cool…?"

"Yeah, look at you. You're seventeen years old and already running your own business." She smiled and pointed around them. "That's amazing! Everyone I've ever seen who runs a place like this is middle-aged or older. Most people our age are still playing video games, and you're going to be a boss." It wasn't anything she'd ever thought of before, but now that she was on a roll, even she was excited. "That's amazing, Jaune. That's really cool!"

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," he said. He scratched his cheek, which was bright red. His smile felt more natural, happier. Ruby cheered internally. "It's not all that special."

"It is!" she said. "You could be the best."

"The best diner?"

"Yeah, sure - whatever you wanted to be." She slammed her hands down on the table and smiled. "Just think about it, you could be famous for how awesome your shop is, and it would be filled with famous people. You could be the best in the business."

"Or the worst," he said, smiling just a little. "Still, thanks Ruby. It means a lot to hear you say that. Who knows, maybe you're right. I wouldn't have been much of a huntsman with how weak I am. Maybe this life is more suited to me. Thanks for the kind words. They helped, really."

"Aw, shucks." She waved a hand demurely, even if inside she was waving flags with her name on and jumping around happily. She'd helped, she'd helped. Yang would never believe this, but she'd actually made friends with someone and then helped them. She smiled and rocked on her seat. "So, what kind of place are you going to be? What kind of food will you serve?"

"I'm not sure yet," he admitted. "I've got some lien put aside to buy stock, but the guy who helped me get this place suggested I get all the freezers and display cases up first. That way I can see how much stuff I need and not get too much. It was someone with the local business enterprise place," he explained, seeing her confused look. "They help new start-ups in the area, but only with finding stuff, information and advice. I'm on my own when it comes to money."

"Ah," she nodded in understanding. Like a teacher for business people, then. That made sense, actually. How else could someone just know where to find stuff or what forms to fill in? "So you've not decided what you'll be yet?"

"I'm thinking simple food and snacks. I can cook, but I'm not as good as my Mom. I'm going to practice and learn though, but for now I'll go easy. I do know how to make different kinds of tea and coffee though." He looked at her face. "You don't like that?"

"No, no," she lied. "Coffee is… nice…"

"Ruby, you look like you're eating a lemon."

Argh, curse her face! She tried to flatten it out, but instead ended up looking like she needed the toilet. When Jaune laughed, she pouted and gently punched his arm. "I like sweets," she protested. "I'm not a coffee person."

"Then you just haven't tried the right coffee. Wait here."

Jaune pushed off with a smile and went back to his boxes, rummaging around while humming to himself. Ruby didn't have the heart to tell him not to bother, even if her stomach – finally sated from ice-cream – was now roiling at the idea of icky, thick, black muck. Old people drank coffee. It was just the way the world worked.

Still, she watched curiously as he lumbered back to one of the counters with a strange-looking machine in hand. He put it down, and fiddled around with some switches and plugs until he'd got it powered. Out came a pristine white mug, never before used, and then he put that away. Instead, a glass dessert thing came out. The kind of decorative glass you'd serve a trifle in.

"Ta-da," he said, pushing the drink before her.

Ruby's eyes widened. It looked like a trifle, except dark and brown instead of white and red. It was tall and frothy, with whipped cream on top, and then what looked like chocolate sauce drizzled all over it. There was even crunched chocolate sprinkled onto it, and her mouth was already watering. It looked like a dessert, smelt like a desert, but was apparently coffee.

Her eyes narrowed. "This isn't a trap, right?"

"Huh? No, it's coffee."

"It has whipped cream on it."

"And chocolate sauce," he said, "along with milk and sugar, some syrup, caramel and crushed milk choco-"

He didn't get any further. Ruby had already lifted it up and took a long sip. She put the glass down, whipped cream suspended above her lip like a moustache. Her eyes were wide. This… this…

"No good?" he asked. "My sisters really like it, and I just thought-"

"This is so good!" Ruby cried, half-thrilled, half-shocked. She dove back in, guzzling at it. It tasted like cookies and sweets, except there was a familiar taste she recognised as yucky, but which was _so_ much weaker than the horrible muck her dad had let her try. She knew why, now. She knew why when she'd asked to try some coffee; he'd made her the foulest concoction available.

He wanted to keep this masterpiece to himself!

All the adults did. It was a conspiracy! It was selfishness on a huge scale. It was every adult in the world tricking people below the age of twenty, so that they could keep all the sweets to themselves. How _could_ they?

Those monsters!

"Heh," Jaune leaned his elbow on the table, cheek propped in one hand. "I take it you like it?"

"Jaune, that was amazing," Ruby gushed once it was all gone. She felt so awake, so alive and energetic. Screw Yang, she was going to _run_ home. "This is so good. You need to open up your shop selling these. You need to give them names, and prices, and little glasses and… and… and you can make more, right!?"

"Yeah, of course I can." He shrugged. "Dad's a huntsman, and Mom runs the family, but she used to work for a small diner in Vale. She always told me how the city was so busy and everyone needed coffee, so she started to play around with different ways to make it. She taught me a few."

Best. Mom. Ever. No wait, second best Mom. Second best!

"I'm going to sell these, but I need other things, too. I was thinking sandwiches, but that feels a little boring. People make sandwiches when they want to make their own packed lunch, so I think the place needs something a little better."

"Sweets," Ruby said instantly. She then blushed when he stared at her. "Um… I mean that you're already making coffee that tastes like sweets, so why not do more? You could sell little cakes, and ice-cream. I mean, you already have the ice-cream."

"Just one tub, and that's because I knew I'd need the energy after carrying all this stuff." He stroked his chin. "But maybe you're right. I'm not exactly up on cooking yet, so any normal food I try to make isn't going to be all that good. Plus, there are already restaurants around who will do it better." He turned back to his counter, and the big, glass display case beneath it. There were several racks inside. "I could put cakes in there, and they'd look pretty good."

Shop display and organisation weren't her things, but cakes were – and Ruby nodded her head furiously.

"Yeah, and you could have one or two on top as well. You could do hot chocolate, ooh, and cookies. What about hot cakes mixed with cold ice-cream?"

"Hot chocolate fudge cake with vanilla?"

They both salivated at the idea.

"Okay, I think that's definitely the right choice. I'll set this place up for sweets, cakes, ice-cream and coffee. I guess it can be a place people stop at for a little bit, rather than a restaurant. Thanks for the help, Ruby."

"No problem, I-" Ruby cut off as her scroll rang. She looked down at it and noticed she had a message from Yang. Her eyes widened. "Oh my god…"

"What?"

"Ugh, it's my sister." Ruby slapped a hand to her forehead. "Apparently, she's been thrown out of a club because she started a fight and trashed the entire place. I can't believe her!" She stood up with a sigh. "I have to go. She's going to take me home." She paused, and then reached for her purse. "How much do I owe you for the food?"

"Nah, don't worry about it," Jaune said. "It's on the house. You're my first ever customer."

She was about to cheer, but paused and frowned instead. Free food was free food, but this was her new friend's life on the line. Or well, his life in Vale as a businessman. She couldn't bring herself to tread on that, or to be even slightly responsible for it failing. "Nope!"

"Huh?"

"I said nope. You said I was your first customer, well that means you need to charge me for the food." She smiled. "Think of it as practice for all the people you'll need to charge."

"But you're a friend…"

"And I'm going to come back for more of that coffee, and you can't keep giving it away." Ruby crossed her arms and stomped one foot on the floor. Her smile gave her mood away, however. "I would like the bill, sir. How much do I owe?"

"Uh… ah…" Jaune's eyes widened, and he quickly dived for a box, drawing out a long receipt as he checked how much he'd paid. "How does ten lien sound?"

Ruby raised an eyebrow. It was five lien for a can of soda.

"Okay, too low… how about, maybe ten for the coffee and ten for the ice-cream. Does twenty sound okay?"

"Hmm, it sounds about right," she said. Out came her purse, and she pulled out some lien. "Here's twenty-five."

"Oh, I have some change somewhere."

"No, silly…" She laughed and curled his fingers closed around it. "It's a tip. Now I'm your first customer, and also your first tipper."

Ruby wasn't sure when paying for food had become so fulfilling, but she backed away with a wide smile. Maybe it was because she'd made a friend too, or because it was her friend she was paying, or just the fact she was proud of him in the first place.

Jaune looked up at her happily. "Thanks, Ruby. I won't forget this."

"You better not! And don't forget how to make that coffee too. Once I get into Beacon and get a team, I'm going to drag them here so they can try some as well." She'd bring Yang, too. "W-Well that is if I make friends with anyone at Beacon… heh…"

"I'm sure you will, Ruby." Jaune said. "Remember, you made friends with me, right? Just do what you did here."

"Run into and injure them?"

"Eh?" He paused, and then poked his bruise with a wince. "Well it worked, right?"

It did, and she got what he was trying to say. Ruby smiled widely, and then gave him a quick hug. In a weird way, he'd already helped her feel a little more confident. When she backed away towards the door, it was with her hands linked behind her back and a huge smile on her face. She'd made a friend. She'd talked to a complete stranger and made friends with them, and yeah it was one who was as shy as her – but wouldn't she find people like that in Beacon, too?

It gave her hope, and that was something she'd been lacking before. In that way, this had been a great night, and totally worth the twenty-five lien she'd lost. She could do this. She could go to Beacon, and she could make friends. How could she not, when she'd managed to make one with some guy she'd just bumped into?

"I'll see you again, Jaune," she waved, opening the door, which chimed the bell above it. "I promise!"

/-/

Jaune watched the door slam shut with another jingle, and let out a soft sigh as he was left alone once more. It was followed by a slow inhale, and then a relieved exhale. He leaned back in his seat, arms slack at his side. The plain ceiling taunted him.

"Cool, huh?"

He sighed.

"What a joke."

Running a diner wasn't cool, even if he _was_ young. This was just his desperate attempt to convince himself he wasn't somehow a failure. Maybe things would have been different if this had been his dream from the start, but it wasn't. He wanted to be a huntsman. He was too weak to be a huntsman. He still had the letter from Ozpin in the back office, though nowadays he couldn't get past the `We regret to inform you` part.

Listening to Ruby talk about being accepted hurt. It was a dull pain, but she'd torn the bandage straight off and rubbed salt in the wound. Not that he'd told her, of course. He'd hidden it all and smiled for her – as a good waiter ought to. To her credit, she seemed to realise quickly enough and looked suitably horrified. She seemed like a good person. The kind of girl he'd have loved to be friends with if he'd been accepted as well. Despite his raging jealousy… he hoped she'd make it as a huntress.

At least one of them should.

With exhausted muscles, and a tired sigh, he pushed himself to his feet. The furniture wouldn't set itself up, and there was work to be done if he didn't want to crawl back home with his tail tucked between his legs. Maybe this wasn't what he wanted, but it would let him stay in Vale. If he couldn't be a huntsman himself, then he could at least pretend, right? Maybe even live through Ruby if she ever came back. Hopefully, she would come and visit again. Doing something like this might become boring otherwise. How exciting could a life like this even be?

He had no idea why he felt a shiver run down his spine.

It was probably just the ice-cream.

* * *

 **So, the first meeting and the opening of Jaune's store… this is an introduction, obviously. In a way, it's to set up Jaune's `problem` and set the scene. This is definitely not an action story, so don't expect Jaune to be beating up anything or anyone. Not unless it's unruly employees!**

 **Also, I may make mistakes on coffee. I'm more of a tea man myself and don't drink coffee (blasphemy, I know. Ozpin would be so disappointed). As such, forgive any coffee mistakes.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 22** **nd** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey there, just to address something quickly. As was pointed out, some of the coffee drinks Jaune served definitely did contain ingredients only found on Earth – espresso being an example. That said, I'll continue to use them simply because it's understandable to a lot of readers, and because RWBY** _ **already**_ **makes use of a vast amount of specific "earth" terms, such as ninjas (who should only have existed in ancient Japan), Xiao-Long (Chinese language), and coffee itself – which many people argue over, but which either comes from Italy (caffe), Ethiopia (Kaffa), or Turkey (Kahveh).**

 **Either way, since we know the word coffee is used in Remnant despite that being technically impossible, I'm sure it'll be fine for me to use coffee blends from different nationalities. I'm not knocking on RT for this, by the way. While they** _ **could**_ **have spent hours and hours inventing new words and such, it's kind of pointless when it's not the focus of the story. Better to go with terms viewers can naturally gasp. Also, yes, some of them may be branded. While I** _ **could**_ **make up long and dramatic alternative names, it would just serve to confuse people.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

* * *

Yang strolled after her team, smiling at the sight of her sister dragging Weiss down the road by her arm.

"Come on, we need to hurry!"

"Let go of me." Weiss huffed and tried to tug free, for all the good that did her. "When I consented to come out to Vale with you, there was no mention of being dragged through the streets like a piece of luggage. Let go, Ruby! People are staring."

"Those two are certainly energetic," Blake sighed, walking alongside Yang with an air of general reluctance. Personally, Yang felt her partner could have used a little energy herself, but she'd agreed to come with them, so it probably wasn't the time to point that out. The formation of Team RWBY had been difficult enough without adding more drama.

They'd only been a team officially for three days now, though it felt like longer. That was the lessons and studying at work, along with the utterly pointless dramatics Weiss Schnee had thrown around once it was clear Ruby was going to remain the team leader. She was glad that nonsense was over, even if she wasn't sure how or why it ended.

"Don't tempt fate, Blake." she said. "I'd rather they argue like this then hit us with the silent treatment again. Besides, no one said you had to come out as well."

"No, but Ruby had a look on her face that said she'd be upset if I didn't." The dark-haired girl sighed. "It wasn't worth the argument. What's gotten her so excited anyway? She's been harping on about visiting this place since the team was set up."

True, and that was unusual enough to catch Yang's interest. She'd agreed to visit the place almost immediately, but it had taken a few days to get the other two on board, and Ruby had some strange fascination on them all coming as a team. It wasn't like Ruby to enjoy cafés or diners, especially when she could just grab some fast food and go to a comic or weapons store instead. Normally the only way to get her to sit still was to buy her something to read while she waited.

That was what made this oh so interesting.

"I've no idea, but I can't wait to find out. The place must be pretty good if it caught her attention."

"Hmm, we'll see…"

Sheesh, Blake was as hard to please as the heiress, though Yang had a feeling both of them would shout at her if she said they were similar in any way. The team was… still a little awkward around one another. That was probably the best way to describe it. They were all willing, and trying, to get along… but, well, it was never going to be easy. Speaking of getting along, it was probably her responsibility to save Weiss.

"Hey Rubes, why not let go of Weiss and show us their normally? I doubt the place is going to close down in the extra five minutes it takes us to get there."

"It's not that!" Ruby complained, though she did let go of Weiss. "It's a new business, so I'm not sure if it will still be open. I promised to come back and I don't want to break that."

"If the place is any good then it wouldn't go under so easily," Weiss said, rubbing her arm. "If it has, then it clearly wasn't the kind of establishment we would have wanted to visit in the first plac- OW!" Weiss hopped on one foot and glared at her partner. "What was that for!?"

Ruby glared back.

"Take it back!"

"Take what back? You kicked me!"

"Because you were being a meanie," Ruby said, no doubt intentionally using a childish word to rile the heiress up. "Jaune is my friend, so you can't say things like that. It's not easy opening up a new business, okay? How would you feel if someone started saying things like that?"

"Leaving aside that I'm the only one here with actual business knowledge - who, or what, is a Jaune?"

"Yeah Ruby," Yang slid over with a huge grin on her face. "Who is _Jaune_ , huh?"

Ruby took a step back and shook her head, but there was no disguising the quick rush of crimson to her cheeks. Yang zeroed in on it, mood going from `mildly intrigued` to `absolute focus` in an instant. Whatever it was, it sounded like a guy's name, and there'd also been the `friend` word thrown around in there. Had Ruby made a friend? Had Ruby made a _boy_ friend?

Judging from the embarrassment she was showing, it definitely wasn't the latter, but that didn't mean there wasn't plenty of teasing potential at hand. Yang leaned forward and nudged an elbow into her little sister's side. "Oh, go you~ I can't believe you're growing up this fast. If you need advice on how to make him happy, you know where to find me."

" _Yaaang_ , it's not like that!"

"Of course it isn't," she said, "Wink."

"You're not supposed to _say_ wink… and it's not! We're just friends!"

"Just a friend…"

"Who is a boy, a boyfriend," Ruby finished, growling cutely. "Stop telling jokes that make you sound like Dad!"

Ouch, that was a little savage. Yang waved it off and mentally tallied up a point for Ruby, which still left her at about a million against one. She held back on teasing any further, however, mostly because she was curious about this guy and how her sister knew him.

Ruby led them through some of the more popular shopping spots in Vale, and eventually down a less busy road that had a couple of bakeries and grocers on it. Eventually, they found themselves in front of a wood and glass fronted building with a happy yellow sign over the front door. The red writing labelled it as being called "Jaune's", which was an obvious sign this was the place.

"It's still here," Ruby said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad!"

"You seemed almost certain it wouldn't be," Blake said. "Any particular reason…?"

"N-No… well… maybe…" Ruby's about-face came with a flush of colour. "When we first met, he wasn't sure what kind of things to sell in his café. I helped him come up with ideas."

" _You_ gave someone business advice?" Weiss scoffed. "I'm not sure you're qualified for that."

Ruby didn't react to the not-so-veiled insult as expected. Rather, she gripped her hair and spun about, eyes wide. "I know! I only realised afterwards and I've been panicking all week. What if I caused his business to go under? What if I ruined his only chance of success? Argh! It would have all been my fault!"

Yang laughed to herself, while Weiss sighed and Blake rolled her eyes. It was so like her little sister to freak out like that. "I wouldn't worry too much," Yang quipped. "Look, he's clearly still in business and there are a few people inside."

Ruby's face squashed against the glass, breath misting it on either side of her. "Ah, that's a relief…"

"Don't pull such a ridiculous face," Weiss growled. She hooked a hand into Ruby's hood and pulled her towards the door. "We're here now, and I'm thirsty. Let's get this over with so you can stop whining about how we have to visit it."

"Weiss, wait, I'm not mentally prepared! What if he doesn't remember me!? What if he _does_ remember me?"

Her protests, and Weiss' counter arguments, faded away as they entered the diner. A bell jingled when the door opened, and then again when it slammed shut. In the silence that followed, Blake looked at Yang and sighed.

"What?" Yang laughed. "I think it's cute."

"You're a terrible sister."

"Hey, I cleaned her underwear and did her laundry. If she wants to repay me now with comedy, who am I to say no?"

"As I said, terrible…"

Bah, everyone was a critic. Yang laughed and pushed through the door, holding it open for her partner to come in after her, and for some mother and child to slip out. Once she was in, she took a quick look around the place. It looked nice enough, pretty spacious compared to some other places, and had plenty of room between the tables – a definite plus compared to the fast food joints she was used to. They normally liked to cram people in like sardines.

Other than that, it was light, airy and clean, with a set of well-lit glass displays forming a counter, with some cakes and other stuff on top of it. It wasn't busy, but there were two other tables occupied, so it wasn't empty. Yang watched as a lone figure with blonde hair leaned over a table and put some cups down. He said something, rubbed the back of his head, and then headed back to the counter.

He paused when he saw them.

Ruby shifted awkwardly.

"H-Hey Jaune… I'm not sure if you rem-"

"Ruby!" The man – or boy, really – smiled, and there was no mistaking the way his eyes lit up. It seemed enough for Ruby, too, for the girl broke off and rushed forward, giving him a quick hug that he returned. "It's so good to see you," he said. "I didn't know if you were ever coming back."

"I know, and I'm so sorry. I wanted to, but I said I'd show you my team, and there were some things and I kept trying to make them come and it took so long!" Ruby growled something under her breath. "But I managed it in the end, even if it took a few days. But you! You made it, you're still in business," she gestured to the other people, "and you have customers!"

"Ha ha, well, I guess even I can do some things right." He bashfully scratched his cheek. "It's thanks to your help though. The cakes were a huge hit, and people like them with the coffee too. I don't think I could have done it without your advice."

"What? Nah, I bet you could have! How has it been? Are you making enough money!?"

The two went on and on, trading questions back and forth at such speed that Yang lost the ability to follow. It wasn't just her either, for Weiss and Blake stared at them, and even the other customers seemed vaguely amused.

"Does she even remember that we're here?" Weiss asked. "What's the point of our presence at all if she was just going to ignore us?"

"Shh…" Yang held a hand over the heiress' mouth. This wasn't the time for her to ruin the magic. Not when Yang's smile couldn't be any wider. Ruby, her little sis, was actually having a conversation with someone. Not one about weapons, or dust, or killing Grimm – but an actual involved conversation, and all by herself.

That would have been a small thing to anyone else, but this wasn't just anyone. Ruby was many things, including a genius, sweet girl and a brave fighter – but a conversationalist wouldn't have made a list of the top ten thousand traits. Dad and Uncle Qrow _had_ to hear about this. Sure, they wouldn't _believe_ her, but they had to know.

"Hey Ruby," she interrupted, hiding her grin. "Isn't this the part where you're supposed to introduce us? Or, you know, remember that we exist in the first place?"

The look on Ruby's face was priceless. First confused, then aghast – before it turned an incredible shade of red as she realised not only what she'd forgotten to do, but how everyone in the café was now staring at her. That, at least, confirmed that her sister hadn't been abducted and replaced by aliens while she wasn't looking.

Still, Ruby being sociable, and with someone who _wasn't_ a huntsman, and didn't have a crazy weapon?

She had to look into this.

/-/

Ruby breathed a sigh of relief once they were all sat down, and the other customers had stopped looking at her like she was some kind of bizarre creature they'd never seen before. What, she'd just been excited to see her friend. Was that so weird?

"So, this is your Beacon team, huh?" Jaune asked, handing out some menus. "It's nice to meet you all. I'm Jaune Arc."

"Blake Belladonna."

"Weiss Schnee." Weiss took a menu and paused, then seemed almost irritated when he didn't respond to her name. Ruby tried to convey her pleas for mercy and calm, trying to show it all in the way she twisted her face. Weiss looked to her and sighed. "Ruby, do you need the toilet or something? You look ridiculous."

Ugh, Weiss was so useless!

"And I'm Yang Xiao-Long, older sister of this little munchkin." Yang said, grinning up at him. "Hope she didn't cause you any trouble~"

"Trouble…?" Jaune looked to Yang and then to Ruby, who was rapidly shaking her head as she tried to convince him to lie with all his might. It was just a black eye and he'd already healed. Lie, damn it! "No, she didn't cause me any trouble at all."

Yes!

She _knew_ there was a reason he was her friend.

"How did someone like you become friends with her, anyway?" Weiss asked.

"Someone like me…?"

"I meant no offence, only that Ruby is a huntress-in-training, and you're a civilian. It's not as though you'd both frequent the same places, and I doubt very much you met at a weapons convention."

Ruby shot a little glare towards Weiss, one which the heiress caught, but which it was clear she didn't fully understand. She shot back her own, one that seemed to ask what it was she'd done to earn such ire. Ruby sighed, but wasn't able to explain. Luckily, Jaune didn't seem too upset at being called a civilian, even after he'd failed his Beacon entrance exam.

"I met her here. Ruby came in when I wasn't fully open. I… left the door sign saying open."

"She barged in, didn't she?" Weiss asked.

"N-No." he lied.

"She totally did," Yang sighed, catching it easily. "Rubes, you _need_ to pay more attention."

Her cheeks flushed as everyone stared at her, Weiss and Yang with exasperation and Blake with barely hidden amusement. "W-Well maybe I wouldn't have if a certain someone hadn't abandoned me in the middle of Vale," she whined. "Oh yeah, and that same certain someone was busy getting in a bar fight!"

"You got in a bar fight?" Weiss asked Yang, eyebrow raised. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me as much as I feel it should. That's kind of disappointing."

"Ha, yeah…" Yang looked up towards the ceiling and smiled. "It was great."

Ruby sighed and met Jaune's eyes. She rolled her shoulders and nodded towards her sister with a vaguely humiliated expression, and he nodded back understandingly. Sisters… what could you do about them? They existed to embarrass you. At least Jaune understood her.

"Are you ready to order?" he asked. "If you need more time to decide on some snacks, I can get you your drinks first."

Weiss recovered immediately. "Yes, I suppose that would be a good idea. I'll have a cappuccino please, but with cinnamon if possible, and if you could perhaps provide a double of espresso that would be appreciated. Do you have semi-skimmed milk? I'd prefer that if possible."

Ruby bit her lip at the complicated order, but Jaune dotted it down on a little notepad and nodded. "Not a problem."

"Thank you."

"Uh…" Yang looked down at the menu and Ruby supressed her glee. Much like her, Yang wasn't one for coffee, and definitely didn't know what any of the crazily named drinks were. Sure, she could have asked for help from Weiss, but that wasn't a Yang thing to do.

Ruby could have helped, too – but why do that? Revenge was going to be sweet, frothy, and topped with chocolate sauce.

"I'll just have a normal coffee," Yang said miserably. "Blake?"

"A black one for myself, thank you."

"I'll have what I had the last time!" Ruby chirped. She tried to make it sound casual, but her glee bled through and Yang narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Thanks, Jaune!"

"No problem, Ruby. I'll be back in a moment."

Ruby watched him go with a smile, and then turned back to her team with a wide smile. "So, what do you think!?"

"Without having so much as sampled a drink, I can't tell," Weiss growled. It only took a single look at Ruby's expression for her to cave. "You're insufferable. _Fine_ , he seems polite and friendly, and the menu looked appealing, I'll freely admit. We have a professional barista back home, and I've not had a good cappuccino since then. If he can make it well, I'm sure I'll approve of this place."

"A barista?"

"Think of it as a bartender for coffee," Weiss explained. "They mix and serve drinks."

"Not exactly hard with coffee," Yang sighed. "You just pour hot water on powder and throw in some milk. Ugh, I can't believe you brought us here, Rubes. You _hate_ coffee."

"It's a little more complicated than that," Weiss said, "or at least for _real_ coffee. I'd rather not drink that instant filth, thank you very much. I prefer my coffee in bean form."

" _I prefer my coffee in bean form_ ," Yang mimicked. "Sheesh, do you even listen to yourself?"

"I'd like to, but my ears are usually filled with _your_ prattling. Don't whine to us because you ordered something you don't like. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but maybe you could stand to be a little more mature like Ruby."

"Yeah, Yang," Ruby said gleefully. "Be more mature like me."

"And you instantly ruined it," Weiss sighed.

She went ignored, of course.

Yang scowled at Ruby and mumbled something under her breath. If there'd been anything to flick her way, then she'd have likely gone with that, but short of a glass vase, there wasn't much in the way of ammunition. "Laugh while you can," she said instead. "You're in the same boat as me, and I'll be the one laughing when you're struggling to force down that crap."

"Here you go," Jaune said, stepping back with a tray held in both hands. He didn't seem confident enough to balance it one-handed like she'd seen some people do, but that was fine. "A black coffee for Blake and a cappuccino for you, Miss Weiss – cinnamon as requested, and double espresso with semi-skimmed milk…"

"Thank you," Weiss said, accepting it with a sophisticated air. She sipped at it and paused, eyes widening. Ruby held her breath, but the heiress quickly nodded. "It is acceptable, thank you."

Acceptable…?

Acceptable!?

Weiss had never called something acceptable before! That was incredible!

"Glad to hear it. Here's your coffee, Yang…"

"Gee, thanks," Yang said glumly.

"And here's your Frappuccino with cream and chocolate sauce," Jaune finished, placing the familiar dessert glass before Ruby and digging a blue straw into it. "Enjoy."

Ruby grinned

Yang's jaw hit the table.

"Wait, what?" Yang cried, sounding betrayed. "What the hell is _that_!?"

"It's my coffee," Ruby said innocently. Then, just to rub it in, she leaned down and bit off the top, smiling with cream and chocolate sauce around her lips. "Hmm… it's so good!"

Yang's eyes remained locked onto it. She looked down to her own drink, black and boring, and then to Ruby's – and even to Weiss' creamy mug. "I… but I… what… I don't…"

"Drink your coffee, Yang," Weiss said. "It's rude to stare."

"Yeah, Yang," Ruby said. "Drink your coffee. You ordered it, didn't you?"

"You suck, Ruby," she hissed, and then turned to Jaune. "Uh…"

His face fell. "Is there a problem?"

"No, no – at least not on your end. I uh… I guess I ordered the wrong thing. Sorry about that. Can I have what Ruby has?"

"Oh, sure, I guess I'll replace that on-"

Ruby glared at Yang and made ready to kick her under the table if she accepted. She needn't have worried, though. As teasing as Yang could be, she wasn't mean – and quickly downed the coffee in a single gulp. "No need," she said, wincing. "I'll pay for both. I just… that thing, please?"

Jaune stared at her, eyes wide. "Y-Yeah, sure. One second."

"I hate you, Ruby," Yang groaned when he left. She stuck out her tongue and wiped it with the back of her hand. "Oh God, it tastes so bad. Who drinks this stuff?" She clenched her mouth shut and cringed at the after taste. "Ugh, I don't know what you're smiling at, Blake. These two tricked you, as well."

"Did they…?"

"You have a normal coffee, too."

Blake smiled. "I _like_ black coffee."

"Ugh, you all suck. You all suck so hard!" Yang glared at them for a few seconds, but her face lit up when Jaune returned. He also brought a glass of water with him, which he offered first so she could wash the taste out of her mouth. Yang's cheeks darkened a little. "Heh, I uh… I guess you overheard, then?"

"No, but I'm not blind." He laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Not everyone likes coffee. My youngest sister certainly doesn't. You didn't have to drink it if you didn't want it."

"I ordered it, so I drank it." Yang finished the water and tentatively sipped at her new drink. Her face lit up a second later, and if she'd had a tail, it would have been wagging behind her. "I'm not the kind of girl to back out on something. Besides, this makes it all worth it!"

"I'm glad to hear it." Jaune laughed, but paused and looked over their heads. "Oh, please excuse me for a second. I need to serve some other people."

He darted off to another table, leaving the four alone.

Ruby waited for her teammates to say something, but her patience wasn't infinite – or even any good at all. She started to vibrate when they continued drinking, until she eventually lost it entirely and slammed her glass down.

"So…?"

Weiss blinked at her. "What?"

Ugh, why did they have to be so clueless!?

"What do you think of him!?" Ruby hissed. "What do you think of this place? It's cool, huh? Jaune's awesome, and he makes really nice coffee. Scratch that, he makes coffee _nice_." And that was an accomplishment enough on its own. "I-It's nice though, right?"

Blake lowered her own mug onto her saucer with a tiny smile. "This is really important to you, isn't it?"

"Ugh…" Ruby squirmed uncomfortably. It was, though she had no idea why. For some reason, she just really wanted her team to like him, and to like this place. Sure, she'd been nervous at the thought of Jaune going out of business, but the bigger panic had been over the fact her new friends might not like him.

She wasn't sure why, but the thought upset her.

"I approve of both him and the establishment."

Her eyes widened. "Weiss…"

"S-Stop acting like I've said something shocking," Weiss growled. "His service is polite, the menu is varied, and he knows how to brew what he offers. Beyond that, the venue is well-spaced and quiet." She looked away awkwardly. "I'm not sure why you're making such a big deal out of this. Did you think I'd dislike him for doing a good job? I'm not difficult to please."

Yang choked on her drink.

Ruby almost did the same, but managed to hide it behind a cough.

Weiss glared at them. "What was that supposed to mean?"

"It _is_ rather peaceful here," Blake said, chuckling at Weiss' anger. "I can't help but think that would change if it became busier, but it's relaxing. I could imagine reading a book here while enjoying a nice drink." She glanced to the side. "The view outside the window isn't bad, either."

It was, and mostly of peaceful streets with a few small shops that weren't all that well-known. Jaune hadn't chosen the best of places for his shop, but that was probably because it would have been too expensive. It was a nice area though, if a little quiet.

Still, Ruby couldn't help but shake happily at their praise. She turned to the final person, her own sister, and swallowed nervously.

Yang met her gaze for a few seconds, then lowered her head and laughed.

"You're such a goof, sis. Yes, I like him. He's pretty cool, for a guy who serves coffee anyway."

Ruby grinned.

"But," Yang said – catching her off-guard. "You know that shouldn't matter, right? Even if we didn't like him, that wouldn't have meant you couldn't be friends or something. You can have more friends than us. You didn't need to stress over us not liking someone."

"I-I know," Ruby said, rubbing her knees together and sulking down at the table. "I just wanted you to all get along."

"Tch, you're too cute sometimes." Yang rubbed her hair, earning a scowl for the effort. "Well, it all worked out. I think this place is pretty sweet, and I wouldn't mind coming again sometime. We could even make it Team RWBY's haunt."

"I have no issue with that," Weiss said. "I'd have come myself regardless. It feels like weeks since I've had a proper cup of coffee. That instant stuff they serve at the cafeteria is an affront to our taste buds."

"The same for me," Blake added. "I'll bring a book next time."

It was working! Her friends like her other friend. Ruby hid a smile in her straw, sucking up the last bits of her drink while she watched the others chat between themselves. Sure, maybe Yang was right and maybe it was a little childish, but it still meant a lot that her friend outside of Beacon got on with her team. It was honestly a little scary because she'd worried they wouldn't have anything to talk about. She was a huntress and he was a café owner, or a barista as Weiss put it. What similarities would they have? She couldn't talk about weapons because he wouldn't understand them, and she couldn't talk about Beacon because that would upset him.

And yet, somehow, they just talked. It was weird, and she couldn't put her finger on what they talked about or why, but it just sort of came naturally.

"Sorry about that," Jaune said, strolling back up to them. "They wanted the bill. Looks like you're my only customers at the moment."

"Are you not getting many?"

"It's not too bad. There's no need to worry, Ruby." He looked around the empty diner and coughed nervously. "Well, it was busier earlier. I'm not a hundred per cent on what counts as rush hour yet, but I get a lot more people around certain hours of the day." His face lit up. "Oh, and there's this business nearby who sends someone twice a day for coffee. They've done that for the past two days running, so I think they might be regular customers. They get coffee and cakes in the morning, then do a round of just coffee around four."

"Jaune, that's great!" She wanted to clap her hands together, but that felt too dramatic. Still, there was no denying that she felt genuinely happy to hear it. It was weird, like she could somehow share in his pride. "Do you think you'll make enough to stay here? Permanently, I mean."

"It's too early to tell on that, but if things continue like they are, I might be able to. I don't have many costs outside of the business, since I work here pretty late."

"How late, exactly?" Yang asked.

"I close at ten, but I usually don't finish cleaning up until eleven."

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "The sign on the door says you open at eight."

"Yeah, but I sleep upstairs." He pointed to the ceiling. "There's a little flat above this place that came with the lease. Once I'm done here, I usually crash upstairs and rest."

"Still, assuming you take an hour each night to clean up, and an hour in the morning to stock everything, that only leaves you eight hours rest – what most people spend asleep on a typical night." The heiress looked him up and down, eyes critical. "Are you sure you can keep up such a harsh pace?"

"It's not as bad as it sounds. I get six hours sleep, and I read and watch a little television…"

"That's not what I asked. You could burn yourself out at this rate. Being a hard worker is admirable, but there has to be some moderation."

"Weiss is right," Ruby said. "Are you sure you're not working yourself too hard?"

Jaune looked between the two of them, eyes wide, and then turned to Yang and Blake. Neither of them offered any rescue, and Yang seemed more amused than anything. "I-It's a bit soon to be talking about that, isn't it?" he asked with a little laugh. "I've been in business less than a week. Anyway, if I get tired, I'll take a break. I have Wednesdays as my day off as it is."

"You could hire people to work here," Blake suggested. "There are plenty of unemployed people in Vale, especially in the faunus communities."

"If things go well, I might try it. I want to see how much I can make in a month first, though. It wouldn't do to hire someone and then be unable to pay them."

"That's true."

Blake didn't say anything more, and went back to her coffee with a focus that made it clear her participation in the conversation was over. Jaune looked to Ruby with a questioning gaze, but she shrugged back.

Blake was cool, but easy to understand? No way. Even Yang seemed lost on that front.

"Regardless," Weiss continued, "Blake has a point. Once things get a little more secure here, you should consider finding someone to help you. It's quiet now, but you need to plan for the future. You have ten tables here, and room for three or four more outside. If you were at full capacity, you wouldn't be able to man both them and the counter at the same time, and you don't want queues to form or your customers will become impatient."

Jaune nodded. "Okay, that makes sense."

"Furthermore, you want someone behind the counter at all times, but because this is a services industry, you need to make sure they're good at talking and being polite and friendly to customers. It might be best to do the tables yourself at first, since taking money and handing out cakes is a fairly simple tas-" Weiss broke off as she noticed Jaune scribbling something on his notepad. "What are you doing?"

"Oh…" He flinched. "I was just taking notes. If that's okay, I mean? I'm still fairly new to this, and you sound like you know a lot about business…"

Uh-oh… he'd done it now. Ruby tried to wave him down and shut him up, but he approached the precipice with an almost suicidal lack of attention. Before she knew it, he'd already thrown himself off the edge and to his doom.

And Weiss' eyes were shining.

"O-Of course you can take notes. You should, in fact. And as to my business knowledge, Ii's to be expected, I suppose, being who I am…" Weiss pushed some hair back behind her ear, and practically _oozed_ satisfaction at Jaune's eagerness to listen and learn from her. "The first thing you need to remember is that while the customer is king, you are God. You should let your customers believe you'll do everything you can to make them happy, and you should, but ultimately you are running a business and not a charity. Your future employees will trust in you to provide for them, so if not for yourself, do it for them. Now, when you look to recruit your first employees, make sure you test their capability first. Anyone can sound good in an interview, but you need to make sure they can back up their words!"

"Do you think I should make them wait on me?"

"Yes, absolutely. Put them through situations you encounter on a daily basis, too. They should be prepared for what they will face, and you help no one by sugar coating the job for them. Secondly…"

Ruby sighed as Weiss went on and on, detailing things she barely understood and definitely didn't care about. Yang and Blake shared their own looks, as well as amused smiles at the heiress' sudden shift into lecturer mode.

Still, Jaune looked happy - and Weiss was talking to him, too, even though she barely interacted with anyone else in Beacon. As boring as it was for her, this was probably important stuff he needed to know. For that, Ruby would force herself to be patient and not interrupt.

One thing was for sure, though.

Operation make Jaune's place Team RWBY's favourite diner was a success. If nothing else, they'd be coming back time after time just so Weiss could make sure Jaune continued to follow her teachings, and probably so she could preach at him, too. Ruby kicked her feet under the table and grinned, licking the final bits of whipped cream off her straw.

"And you also need to consider expansion. A successful business doesn't use early success to do nothing. Lien sitting in a bank is lien not invested. You need to make it work for you!"

/-/

Jaune waved goodbye to Ruby and her team as they left. His head ached from all the knowledge that had been forced into it, but there was no hiding the smile on his face. Ruby had been as good as her word. He'd been pleased to see her, more pleased than he'd expected.

 _Her teammates were really pretty, too._ His cheeks darkened at the thought, but there was no one around to see him, so he let himself look a little goofy. The white-haired one especially, Weiss, he reminded himself, was beautiful…

Maybe if he'd been a huntsman or student alongside them, he'd have felt confident enough to ask her out. He couldn't do that here, though. It would be weird for someone who brought you drinks to do that, especially if she said no and he had to hand them the bill at the end of it.

Speaking of, they'd left him a generous tip, even after taking some cakes to go. Yang and Blake had seemed particularly pleased with the wrapping of those, which was odd since it was just brown paper around a box, and tied with some string with a little bow on top. Yang had called it cute.

He'd just gone with it because he knew how to wrap birthday presents well after doing it for nine family members for so long. Some of his sisters were so bad at it, they'd beg him to do it for them, and usually bribe him with sweets or other stuff. _Maybe I should do it more often. They seemed to really like it, and I suppose it would keep the food safe from rain._

He let out a long sigh and leaned on his counter. It was odd, but the day had been… almost pleasant. The same pain he'd felt before was absent, and it hadn't even flared up when Ruby introduced her team as one from Beacon. Maybe he was getting over it, or maybe time had diluted it all a little so it didn't hurt so much. He'd been afraid seeing Ruby again would make him feel like that… more afraid of that than he had of her lying and not coming back at all.

He was glad she had, and relieved that his jealousy had decided to throw itself off a cliff.

There was a jingle at the door, and a new person entered. He was dressed in a full black suit, with a red tie and red sunglasses, as well as a black hat on his head. He was armed with a red axe. It was odd, but not unusual in a city where huntsmen and huntresses walked about. The man stalked forward, eyes hidden, and slammed his hand down on the counter.

"You know what I'm here for."

Jaune nodded.

"Your four o'clock order, right? Are those twins making you come out for them again?"

"Every single day…" the man groaned and slumped into a chair. "It's bad enough they keep changing their order, but now the boss tried that latte thing you do and he's hooked. You have cup holders, right?"

"Yeah," Jaune said, taking the list from the man. He winced. "Not one for _fifty_ drinks, though."

"I have some of the boys outside," he said, jerking a hand towards the window. True to his word, there were ten or so men in identical black and red suits outside. There were also a _lot_ of people giving his diner weird looks. "Take your time making them. I could use the rest…"

"Busy day…?"

"More like a busy week," the man complained. "Ever since this broad came and trashed our nightclub, it's been construction work and heavy lifting. Well, that and constant runs back and forth for coffee and cake. You uh… got one of those caramel slices?"

"Here," Jaune span one over the counter while he mixed some espresso. "It's on the house."

The man cheered weakly and peeled it open, biting into the treat with gusto. He let out a little moan, exhausted but filled with bliss. A second later, he swallowed and wiped some crumbs off his mouth. "Thanks for that. You're a lifesaver."

 _Yeah, and you're with the mob,_ Jaune thought, stacking some cardboard mugs.

He hadn't known at first, of course – but some of the local shop owners nearby had seen fit to fill him in, and to warn him that he should probably just pay the protection money to avoid any `unfortunate accidents` that might befall him.

Funnily enough, he still hadn't been asked for any.

They came around every day, and he just served them like he would anyone else, and still nothing had happened. They just… sort of were his customers. It was awkward and weird, but eh, it was his job to serve them, so serve them he did.

"Here you go," he said, lifting the ten little cardboard packs onto the counter. Six cups per holder and nine holders for all the drinks they wanted. "And the bill-" The man forked out the right amount, having long since memorised it by now. "Thanks."

"No problem." He turned around. "Oi, you lot get in here and help me carry these. You know what those two sisters will be like if we're late."

The men entered, a huddle of gangsters crowded into his little diner, and each one taking a single cardboard holder in hand, with a red axe in the other.

"Thank you, Jaune."

"Thanks, Jaune."

"Cheers, Jaune."

Each one nodded and thanked him, before making their way out in single file. The final one, the leader and the first to enter, finished off his caramel slice and tossed the wrapper in a nearby bin. Mouth still full, he waved as he made his way out, the bell on the door jingling as it shut behind him.

Jaune stared at it, and at the backs of the gangsters as they wandered away, chatting between themselves.

"I feel like Mom would have something to say if she could see me now…"

His thoughts were interrupted by another jingle, and an automatic smile sprung onto his face as he turned back to the door.

"Welcome to Jaune's. What can i get you?"

* * *

 **And there we go, another chapter of Service with a smile. Jaune and Team RWBY have been introduced, but you can rest assured that things are not quite the same elsewhere. Jaune is absent from Beacon, after all, that will have knock-on effects for the other students there.**

 **Also yes, Jaune had the bad – or good – luck to set up his diner somewhat close to Junior's bar, hence how Ruby was lost in the immediate area when Yang went and smashed up the club.**

 **Next chapter in two weeks, as Captain Dragon is the story which runs in the "in-between" week.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 5** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the next chapter of SWS, aka Jauney does Starbucks. It's a little earlier than usual today because I have to go and meet my nephew for something important. Anyway, a lot of people have been suggesting names for his café cum diner, and those are pretty cute. I've actually just had it called "Jaune's", as in that's the title Ruby reads above the door in the first chapter. That said, it's a fairly unoriginal name, and there's definitely scope for Jaune to change it later in the story.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

* * *

The change was so subtle he didn't notice it. Things continued as they usually did, with the same gangsters coming twice a day for coffee, and a few other regulars making their rounds in the mornings and at lunch. It wasn't an obvious thing, at least not at first. It wasn't until he'd come to deliver some cakes to a pair of young men that he realised things were changing at all.

"Thank you, kind sir," the large man said in a voice that was almost paradoxically soft. "I had heard about this venue from some friends of mine, and I'm glad to see they spoke the truth as to its quality."

"No problem," Jaune replied politely. He'd have always been polite to a man who looked to be seven feet tall and built of muscle, but in this case it honestly felt like it would have been a sin to be rude - almost like kicking a friendly dog. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourselves. And here's your cake, sir."

The dark-skinned male nodded and took the mug, then sipped it and paused before nodding again, this time with a tiny smile.

"We ought to bring Coco and Velvet here," the large man said. "What do you say, Fox?"

Fox, or at least the guy Jaune presumed was named such, nodded again and hummed something under his breath. It wasn't really an answer but it seemed enough for his friend, who relaxed into a seat far too small for him with a contented sigh.

"I have to go and serve some others. Feel free to grab my attention if you need anything."

"We shall. Thank you."

It wasn't anything about the two of them which tipped him off, and in fact, it was actually something he noticed as he left their table. To be honest, it probably should have been noticeable from the start.

After all, it wasn't exactly easy to miss the huge sword leaning against the table.

Not huge in the sense of a conventional two-handed weapon, but huge in the way that meant it was ridiculously over-sized for any purpose at all. Also, it was bright orange, which was equal parts pointless and bizarre. It made him pause and look around, and he started to notice that the other tables had signs of weapons by them, too.

There was the one in the corner where two girls were chatting animatedly. They looked only a little older than him, and quite pretty, but it was the handgun laid casually next to a menu that drew the eye. The other girl had a knife at her waist as well, and not a single person in the diner seemed put off by it. Not even an awkward glance towards the dangerously armed people filling his diner.

And why should they, when almost everyone else there was also armed to the teeth?

It was at that point he realised what had happened, even if he wasn't sure _when_ or _how_.

He'd become a haunt for huntsmen.

Huh… fancy that.

It wasn't just students either, even if he was fairly sure those two guys from before were just that. There was a middle-aged man on his scroll by the window, sat atop one of the stools with a steaming mug of coffee before him. There was a collapsible spear propped up beside him. There was also a chatting group of four around a table who were almost certainly somewhere between twenty and thirty years old. Being near a wall, they'd leaned their weapons up against it – which really should have made him feel a little nervous, but somehow didn't.

Who was he to tell them how to look after their equipment? They knew it better than he did!

 _I'm not imagining this though, am I? There are so many more huntsmen and huntresses here, and now that I think about it, I've lost a lot of my regulars._ The thought shocked him, and he looked around again just to be sure. There _were_ one or two normal people, and they were easy to spot because they didn't look nearly as relaxed as the huntsmen. Still, it was nothing compared to the numbers he'd normally have at this time, and even though he'd gained ten or so new customers, it looked to have cost him ten old ones.

The diner was about as busy as it always was, but with different people to usual. It could have been a coincidence, but he doubted it… mostly because there were a few faces who dropped by every single morning without fail. Or they had, now that he thought about it, up until a day or two ago… which was about the time Team RWBY became regular customers. They must have spread the news about his diner. He smiled and made a note to thank Ruby for that.

Still, had that driven his old custom away? Why was that?

On a side note, maybe he should invest in a weapons rack or something. If he was going to have customers armed to the death, then he could at least take steps to accommodate them. Then again, given how expensive most huntsmen weapons were, maybe that would be too risky. He might have to get insurance for it, and he _really_ couldn't afford to start messing around with stuff like that. Better to just stomach the awkwardness and move on.

The bell rang again as a new customer entered, or a set of customers this time. There were four in total, and these ones were definitely not students – two of them even having greying hair. As had happened the last few times the bell rang, every huntsmen in the diner looked to the door and touched their weapons, and as had happened every time before, they relaxed once it was safe and went back to their conversations.

Jaune let out a short sigh. _I feel like some kind of person visiting a zoo._ He laughed to himself and imagined a posh narrator's voice in his head. _And here we have a wild herd of huntsmen in their natural habitat. See how even when at rest, they are painfully alert, and take the time to inspect any new members of the herd before relaxing. This is to ward off predators._

Though he wasn't sure what they'd count as predators in the middle of Vale. He shook his head and dispelled the thought, picking up four menus and carrying them out to the people as they settled around a table by the front window. It was a good spot with a commanding view of the street, and even though he probably could have fit another table and four chairs in there, he knew his customers liked having the extra space to stretch their legs and get comfortable.

"Here you go," he said, handing the menus to the three men and one woman. "If you know what you'd like, I'll be happy to take your order, or I can come back in a few moments if you'd prefer."

"Are you the owner here?" the woman asked. She was stern-faced with blonde hair and green eyes. She immediately made him think of a teacher, and also that he'd forgotten to do his homework.

"I-I am," he said, and then cringed at his stutter. "Is there a problem I can help with?"

"No, of course not…" She looked down to her menu. "I was simply curious."

"Please forgive my colleague. She's had a busy day." It was the white-haired man who apologised with a charismatic smile. He wore a green suit and had an odd set of glasses over his eyes. "I will have a cup of coffee, please."

Jaune blinked.

"What kind?"

"What kinds do you have?"

"Well, we've got fifty individual blends and beans, and that's not including the different ways I can make it. If you have a favourite brand or flavour, I can…" Jaune paused. "Um, sir…? Are you okay?"

"Don't mind me," the man wheezed. His eyes were shut, his face pointed to the side. A tear ran down his cheek. "I was simply overwhelmed by emotion for a moment."

"Okaaay…"

"Do you have Mistral Mountain-Top?"

"I do."

"Vacuo Golden Sands?"

"Some arrived this morning."

"Atlesian Black?"

Jaune paused. "I don't have that."

"Why not?"

"Well…" Jaune broke off and tried to think of a good excuse. In the end, he decided to be honest. "No offence, but it tastes awful. It's possibly the worst blend of coffee I've ever had the misfortune to taste. I'd not serve it to my worst enemies."

"Young man, I believe this is the beginning of a wonderful relationship."

"Ozpin," the woman hissed, kicking him under the table. Jaune was instantly reminded of Team RWBY. She looked to him, and managed to look just as exasperated as Weiss usually did. "Ignore him, please. I'll have a mocha."

"A treble espresso," the green-haired man asked. "And a little less water than usual, please."

Less water in a triple espresso…? Jaune nodded, but winced internally at the thought of it. That would be so strong, he felt ill just thinking about it. Well, if the guy wanted to peel the lining off his own mouth, who was he to argue?

That was what insurance was for.

"I'll take a latte, lad," the moustached man called.

"And I shall have a fifty-fifty blend of Golden Sands and Vale Red Bean. I'd also appreciate it if you could bring the milk out to me." Ozpin added. "I have rather specific requirements on it."

"You're such an embarrassment," the woman groaned.

Jaune laughed and jotted it down. In truth, he didn't think it was all that odd. He got a lot of people who really liked their coffee (as did his Mom), and everyone did it a little different. If it would make a customer happier to handle the milk themselves, then he would go along with it. Where was the harm?

"I'll be back with your orders shortly," he said.

/-/

Glynda watched the young man go. He hadn't complained about Ozpin's mannerisms, nor even looked upset to hear them. She wasn't sure if she should feel pleased at that, or upset that Ozpin would take it as encouragement. In the end, she went with the easier option, and glared at the man in question instead.

"What?" Ozpin asked innocently. "He's a barista. Would you criticise me for giving specific instructions to a barber?"

No, but there was a marked difference there, and the poor boy looked like he was running the entire place on his own. With everything else he probably had on his plate, she felt guilty throwing Ozpin's OCD's at him as well.

"I've heard nothing but good things from various students about this place," Oobleck mused, looking around. "I have to say, it's actually quite nice."

"Yes, I approve of the room especially," Ozpin said, and Glynda could only agree there. "The view is rather pleasant as well. It's peaceful here."

"It's off the main street, so it's not as busy," she pointed out. "That probably doesn't help him gather much custom, but it does mean it's blessedly quiet. No screaming children bring dragged about by their parents for a change."

Ozpin chuckled. "You know, for a woman who _teaches_ children, you have surprisingly little patience for them."

"I teach children to kill things. I do not deal with toddlers."

Their conversation broke off as the waiter returned once more, balancing a tray between his hands. He set it down on the table next to theirs, then brought across the drinks individually. Glynda accepted hers with a nod of thanks and set it down.

"Is there anything else you'd like?" he asked.

"Well, I wouldn't say no to a cake," Peter said, laughing as though he'd told some particularly hilarious jest. "The problem is there are so many on the menu! How is a man to ever choose?"

Ah, and there was the _other_ embarrassing male she had to spend her time with. Glynda buried her emotions with practised ease, which was probably for the best since she wanted to reach across the table and throttle Peter with his own moustache.

Why had teaching ever seemed like a good career move?

"What would you suggest, lad?" Peter asked. "I can't choose, so make one for me. I'll trust in your expertise."

"Huh, me?" The young man looked a little nervous. "W-Well, I could, but they're all different prices. Wouldn't it be a little unfair if I chose?"

"We'll all have some cakes between us," Ozpin said, coming to his now favourite person's rescue. "Don't worry about the cost. So long as it's not ridiculous, I'm sure it will be fine. Today is a business meeting regardless, so it's technically on expenses."

Glynda gritted her teeth and counted to twenty.

She couldn't kill Ozpin.

That would be bad.

The waiter nodded and left to fulfil the strange order, and Glynda comforted herself in the thought that he'd at least make some good lien off of them. Even so, she rolled her eyes at Ozpin. "We're here to work? Really… that's the first I'd heard."

"It's close enough, Glynda," he chuckled. "Though I didn't mention it before, I thought we might discuss the upcoming field trip to Forever Fall."

"Is there something wrong with it?" Glynda's eyes narrowed. "I've taken all the necessary precautions and arranged everything as best I'm able. If there is a problem, I'd like you to say it."

"No, no – there's nothing wrong. There's no need to get defensive-"

"I'm not defensive."

"I simply meant to discuss the students," Ozpin said, dodging the dangerous topic with easy grace. "It's not the trip itself that concerns me, but several of our teams have shown… less than stellar teamwork thus far. I'm simply concerned they might be problematic for you on the trip."

The mood at the table dropped quickly, and she let out a long sigh as she realised what he meant. While some teams had gotten on famously, Team RWBY being an example, others were struggling to the point of infighting, and that was never a good thing.

"I've never questioned your methods of assigning teams before," Glynda said. "But it really hasn't worked out well this time, Ozpin."

Oobleck tapped his chin. "And come to think of it, we really _should_ have questioned your methods before. Eye-contact is not exactly a full proof means to good relations."

"Well, it's easy for you all to condemn me _now_ , isn't it?" the headmaster groused. It looked like he might argue more, but he sipped his drink and all the tension melted from his face. "But maybe you're right. We'll have to think more on it next year."

Glynda stared at him like he'd grown another head. No argument? That was odd, especially from Ozpin. She sipped her own mocha, and breathed a sigh of relief at the rich, chocolaty taste. So bad for her, so unhealthy, yet so sinfully sweet… chocolate was for children, but coffee was for refined adults, so this always felt like a concession she could make.

"Team Crimson could stand to work together a little more," Oobleck said. "Why, just the other day, Mr Winchester expressed the most disgusting views in class."

"Racism?" Ozpin guessed. "His father fought in the faunus wars and never did let that go…"

"As understandable as the elder Winchester's grief and pain may be, it's not right of him to pass that onto his son, nor for his son to express such in class. I explained so and instructed him to meet me after class." Oobleck sighed and leaned back, nursing his thick, black, tar. "It should have ended there, but unfortunately, Miss Valkyrie seemed to disagree with him and caused an argument. Mr Lark quickly sided with Mr Winchester, while Miss Valkyrie's partner and friend sided with her."

"And before you know it, the team is split in two," Glynda finished. "It's always difficult when emotions and ideologies clash. From what I've seen, Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren are close friends. Having the two of them on the same team was bound to cause tension, if only because they will side together against the other two."

"It's as you say. Mr Winchester feels his leadership is threatened, and I don't think Miss Valkyrie truly understands how often she tries to determine what the team should do. When Mr Ren agrees with her, it instantly looks like a challenge against the leader and breeds more tension."

"They're not the only team that is struggling," Peter said. "I had Miss Nikos sit next to her partner Mr Thrush in class, and I've never seen two people look more out of place. I'm not sure who to feel sorry for. The poor lad looks like he doesn't know what to say, and she sure isn't talking to him."

Yes, and that entire team was another headache in the making for her. Partners were supposed to be close, and even in Team CRSN, the partnerships were that – with Mr Lark siding with Winchester in most arguments. Pyrrha Nikos and Russel Thrush hadn't _seemed_ like an entirely bad partnership at first, but something had clearly happened.

Now, the two couldn't so much as speak to one another, and often sat on opposite ends of the classroom. They weren't antagonistic, thankfully. They just avoided one another… all the time.

"Not for the first time, I wish teams didn't exist at all," Ozpin sighed. "I'd abolish them, but it's an international custom, so it's not that easy."

The three of them grumbled their agreement. The silence would have continued from there, but for their host coming back with a tray in his hands. She took the distraction for what it was and happily turned to face him.

"Here you go," the young man said, laying out a large plate in the middle of the table. "I hope you enjoy."

Glynda's mind went blank.

She was not an overly feminine woman and never had been. She conducted herself as both a professional and a woman, but she didn't find things _cute_ or _pretty_. To her, everything needed a function, a purpose. But when he laid the plate down and she was presented with the sight of a small collection of deserts – each one miniscule, but also widely different – she couldn't help but bite her lip and stare.

 _They're adorable…_

"I didn't quite expect this much," Ozpin mused, lifting one of the cakes between his finger and thumb. It was far smaller than the slices she'd seen in the display cabinet, more a single bite in itself, but there were many more of them, and of a wide range of different cakes. Ozpin popped his in his mouth, and judging from his expression, was quite satisfied with the result.

"I wasn't sure which cakes to give," the waiter admitted. "I didn't want to charge you too much, and I didn't think you'd want more than a single slice each, but we have at least thirty different kinds of cakes. In the end, I decided to take smaller cuts of all of them and make mini-cakes."

"It's like a platter," Peter cheered, reaching out to take one and sample it. "Incredible. I love it!"

"They are rather well presented," Oobleck agreed, helping himself. "It also eliminates the need to choose, and lets us sample various different flavours." He nodded to the waiter. "That's quite the clever idea, young man. Perhaps you should add something like this to your menu."

"Do you think?"

Yes. Absolutely. It wasn't just the convenience of it, but the look. Glynda picked up one and stared at it, and it was hard to even think of eating it. He'd not just cut a slice, but actually used some tools to shape it like a tiny little cake. Somewhere deep in her mind, hidden behind locked doors and chains, a little girl squealed at the sight of such an adorably cute thing. She wanted to take it home and keep it as an ornament. It really was just _that_ cute.

"I think Miss Goodwitch approves," Ozpin teased, and it wasn't until she noticed their gazes on her – even the waiter's – that she realised how much she was staring at the miniature treat. Her cheeks darkened, and Ozpin chuckled. "It looks like you have a winner, Mr Arc. I'm sure many of your other customers would love such an option."

"Several of them are already looking," Oobleck pointed out. He was right, too, for they were receiving quite a few not-so-subtle looks; the kind you might receive at a restaurant if you ordered something unusual or appealing and everyone else wanted to know what it was.

The young man laughed and scratched the back of his head. "I guess I should. Well, it's not a bad idea for sure. I'll have to run it past my consultant."

"You have a business consultant?"

"W-Well, I have a customer who knows a lot about business. She's not really doing work for me, but she always has advice, and I listen to what she says." He smiled to himself. "She's pretty demanding, but she means well. Or I think she does… it's hard to tell sometimes."

"Excuse me," a feminine voice called. It was one of the two girls by the window, two third-years Glynda recognised by name and team. They smiled flirtatiously at the young waiter, who quickly went red-faced and rushed over to them. "Can we have whatever it was they just got? That looked _amazing_!"

"Huh? Uh, yeah, sure. I'll have to make some more, though. It might be five minutes."

"We can wait," the other said. "Can we have another round as well?"

"Sure."

"Thank you, Jaune~" the first cooed, stroking his arm. "You're really so sweet."

"A-Ah, I should go make your drinks!"

"He's certainly popular," Ozpin said, amusement thick in his tone as he popped another treat into his mouth. "I'm pleased to see him doing so well. This is a nice place, and he deserves the success it could bring."

"I hope he doesn't take them too seriously," Glynda sighed. "They're only flirting, and I'd hate to see him think otherwise."

"I'm sure it will be fine, Glynda."

"You knew his name," Oobleck said. Glynda paused in her own conversation, quickly realising what her companion meant. Ozpin had referred to their waiter as Mr Arc, and there hadn't been any introductions. Even if they went by the name of the diner, he would have said `Jaune` before a surname.

"Nothing gets by you, Bart."

"I did feel it a little curious you ushered us here so quickly," Oobleck admitted. "While I was certainly not averse to finding out more about this place, your excuse of having heard of it from the students fell a little flat. You don't exactly spend much time around the student body."

Ozpin smiled. "You've caught me out."

"Who is he?" Glynda asked, curious despite herself. "It's not like you to take interest in a random citizen of Vale, even if he _can_ cater to your demanding coffee addiction."

"It's not really an addiction, Glynda…"

"Is he a potential student?" she asked, ignoring his protest entirely. "Is it someone you want to add to the student body in some way, or maybe someone of political importance?"

"Neither of those things, I'm afraid. He's just someone I wanted to keep an eye on. Call it a professional interest if you will, but my motives are more compassionate in nature. I just wanted to make sure Mr Arc was doing alright."

"Why?" Glynda asked.

"Why not ask him?" Ozpin said. "You've figured out who I am, right, Jaune Arc?"

"Yeah, I have…"

She jumped when the voice sounded behind her, and quickly scooted her chair around. How he'd snuck up on her, she had no idea, but it might have had something to do with the cakes she was snacking on, or maybe the fact that he presented no presence around him. Most huntsmen and huntresses got used to sensing danger nearby, and he provided none.

He was just a normal civilian.

"You're Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon." He looked to them. "And you must all be teachers there."

"Indeed, they are."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr Arc," she said, holding out a hand. He took it, and she took a second to marvel at how un-huntsman-like his hands were. She filed it away, however, not wanting to draw attention to or embarrass him. "I wasn't aware you knew of Beacon or its professors. I'm sorry if it was rude to speak of you behind your back, but how _do_ you know Ozpin?"

"Jaune Arc," he introduced, "and yeah, I know Ozpin." He sighed and shook his head. "I applied to attend Beacon."

"You…?"

"And I rejected his application," Ozpin said conversationally.

All noise died then and there.

Glynda winced, suddenly aware of how she was the closest to the teenager, and how she'd just mindlessly shook hands and introduced herself, unaware of his circumstances or what had happened. And, of course, Ozpin had flown in with his usual lack of tact, and dropped a bombshell on them all.

Well… this turned awkward fast.

"He wanted to attend this year, but I felt his training was not up to the standards we demand," Ozpin continued, completely oblivious to the little signs she was sending him to _shut up_. Even Peter looked uncomfortable; suddenly _far_ more interested in the window than he had any right to be. "We had a surplus of excellent students this year, and Mr Arc didn't quite meet the bar. In the end, I decided it would be best if he did not attend."

"I-I see," she choked out. "Well, this is hardly the place for such discussions, so-"

"I didn't hear back from him, of course. Not many people respond to letters of rejection, I suppose." Ozpin sighed and finished his coffee. It clinked back down onto the saucer, the noise loud enough to echo through the diner. To her horror, she realised that even the other patrons had gone silent, all sensing the tension in the air and deciding to listen in.

Could Ozpin not sense the mood, or was he just being that much of an idiot?

"I wondered how you were doing, Mr Arc. I half-expected you would leave Vale altogether."

Zero tact… what else had she expected?

"No," Jaune said weakly. "I'm still here… I… I didn't want to go home and admit that I messed up. It felt like doing that would be admitting defeat, or failing somehow. I didn't want my family to look at me and think I was a failure."

"You're not a failure," Glynda interrupted. "Beacon sets unusually high standards for its applicants, and we turn away almost-"

"At becoming a huntsman, he is a failure," Ozpin said, cutting through her argument, and then moving his foot away when she drove her heel down into it. If only she'd thought to bring her weapon, she could have _sealed_ his mouth shut. "I see you didn't try for any other schools. There are more ways to become a huntsman than to attend Beacon, you know. Some take apprenticeships, while others simply wander off into the wild and teach themselves. It's dangerous, of course, but the option is there."

Jaune Arc shrugged weakly, unable – or perhaps unwilling – to explain why he'd chosen to hang up his sword and become nothing more than a civilian.

"You're doing quite well for yourself here, however. I dare say you've been quite successful in setting this place up. Your menu is certainly diverse enough, and your service has been exemplary. Do you intend to make a career of this?"

"I guess so. It would be a bit weird if I opened this place and didn't."

"True…" Ozpin smiled coyly and leaned his hands on the table. "Allow me to be frank, Mr Arc. Do you wish for me to leave?"

"Ozpin!" Glynda hissed.

"No, it's fine…" Jaune shrugged and let out a long sigh. "I don't mind you being here."

"Despite me being directly responsible for trampling on your dreams?"

Jaune shuffled awkwardly, and it looked like he appreciated being the centre of attention even less than she did. For that alone she'd make sure to dump a week's worth of paperwork on her boss' desk. He deserved it for being so rude. In the end, the waiter shrugged.

"You're not upset?" Ozpin asked. "You knew who I was from the start, yet you treated me like any other customer. Why is that?"

"Because you're a customer… my consultant would be pretty angry if she heard I'd thrown you of all people out."

"That's not the real reason and you know it."

"What do you want me to say?" Jaune demanded – and there was a hint of emotion to his voice at last. Glynda recognised it easily in the way his hands clenched into fists. Ozpin, apparently, did not.

"The truth, I suppose. Were you not angry that I turned you down?"

"Angry? Angry!?" His blue eyes snapped open. "Of course I was angry! Becoming a huntsman was my dream, it was what I'd always wanted, and you just threw that away without even giving me a _chance_ to prove myself! I was angry, alright. I was distraught, depressed – I didn't know what to do!" His hands tightened on his tray, and she saw it bend. "I'd never felt so… so _crushed_ in my whole life. I was left with nothing, and after I'd come all the way to Vale to try and make this work. You took everything away from me…"

Glynda's face fell.

"And yet you've treated me like any other customer. Why is that?"

"Because… because what difference would it make if I didn't?"

What…?

"Getting angry at you won't change anything, and it's been almost two weeks since then. If you'd come to me on the first night, I'd have screamed and shouted at you, but I can't bring myself to do that anymore." Jaune sighed and placed his tray down on a nearby table. He looked exhausted. "I woke up at five in the morning so I could meet with my suppliers and order some more fresh milk, and then I had to clean all the tables and get ready for the day. I prepped all the machines, visited the local bakeries, and then had to cut cakes and lay them out in display cabinets. It's three in the afternoon now, and I've got a big order coming in an hour, not to mention the rush once the local businesses close for the day. I just don't have the _time_ to get angry."

Glynda's face tilted to the side. She wasn't sure what she was hearing, and also couldn't figure out whether that was mature or not of him. Sure, he'd decided to put aside his animosity, but because he couldn't fit it in his day…?

Was that a good thing?

"Besides, it's not like it would change anything. You probably had a reason to not accept me, and it probably wasn't because you enjoy it. I was really upset, but I guess I just busied myself and forgot about it. I want to be angry even now, but I just can't find it." Jaune laughed awkwardly and picked up his tray once more. "Maybe you made the right choice, anyway. Maybe I wouldn't have been cut out for the life of a huntsman. I guess I'll never know." His eyes trailed to the ceiling and then back down to them again. He took a deep breath and let it go. "But no, you don't have to leave. You're welcome here, even after what happened. You were just doing your job, and I'll do mine. There doesn't have to be any hard feelings."

Ozpin smiled warmly. "I'm glad to hear it. For what it's worth, I derived no satisfaction from the decision."

"I understand. This isn't what I expected I'd be doing either, but I can't say I hate it."

"One should never do something they dislike," Oobleck said wisely. "You've certainly managed to craft a loyal customer base. I'd be happy to come back myself."

"I, as well," Glynda added. "If we're welcome, that is. I would understand if you didn't want-"

"No, it's fine." He smiled at her, and she could sense nothing but honesty there. "Like I said, I was worse about this before, but I'm over it. I'd be happy to see you all again. Anyway, I should get back to work and leave you to your food. If you need me, just shout."

"We will, Mr Arc," Ozpin said. He watched the waiter leave, and turned back to the rest of them with a small smile. It faded when he noticed them staring at him. "What?"

"Don't you _what_ us, Ozpin," Glynda hissed. "Can we not even take you out for coffee without your causing a scene?"

"I merely wanted to address the issue. I _did_ worry for the young man, and I didn't want to impose on him if he my presence caused him any distress."

"And you could not have addressed him in private?" Oobleck asked with narrowed eyes. "As opposed to, say, throwing it out in the middle of our lunch break? That was an awkward situation, Ozpin, and not one _we_ needed to be involved in!"

Glynda nodded with a fierce glare.

"For shame," Peter agreed around a mouth filled with cake. "For- hm, this is delicious. I- Oh right, yes, for shame."

/-/

Jaune stretched his muscles and fought back a yawn as the clock struck ten. Another day over, and another till filled with lien. That wasn't to say he'd turned a real profit yet, but he was on the right track. It was about half way through the month, and if things carried on like they were, he'd turn a small one – enough to cover his bills and keep going, anyway.

He didn't bother to flip the sign over on the door, and instead moved around the diner, stacking chairs and wiping tables clean. He left one table free, however, with two seats next to it.

If his memory served him correct…

The bell rang.

"See? I told you he'd still be open."

"Technically, I'm closed," Jaune said without any heat. He smiled at the little girl who skipped up to him and tilted her head to the side. "There's plenty of ice-cream in the freezer unit. Pick which flavours you want and I'll mix it up for you."

Neo clapped her hands together and rushed away, and not for the first time, he had to remind himself that she was actually older than he was.

"Thanks, kid," Roman said, sitting down on the table and reaching for a cigar. He paused when Jaune stared pointedly at him, and then sheathed it with a sigh. "There's no one else here. It's not like anyone would know."

"No, but I'd have to get rid of the smell. You know the rules, Roman." Jaune pushed an affogato over to the man, and passed him a spoon along with it. This was actually the third time Roman had visited, and he'd become something of a late night regular. From what Jaune understood, the two worked in the removals industry, but they had the night shift or something. They didn't talk about work much (not that Neo talked at all), and he understood why.

Who wanted to talk about work when you were relaxing?

Either way, their shift ended technically after his diner did, but they'd caught him closing for the day and Neo had looked so upset, he hadn't the heart to ask them to leave.

Of course, he'd been in for a bit of a rude awakening when he'd asked Roman what his _daughter_ wanted. She'd not taken well to that, and only a liberal serving of ice-cream had been enough to cool her anger. Since then, she'd made it a conscious effort to remind him that she may have _looked_ young, but that she definitely wasn't.

"Busy day?" Jaune called, moving over to the counter and scooping out ice-cream as Neo pointed.

"Don't even get me started, kid." Roman said. Naturally, he didn't need any more encouragement and _did_ , in fact, get started. "Had to meet with something of a new customer today, and I'll be damned if she doesn't think she owns us. An arrogant piece of work if I've ever seen it."

For him to call someone arrogant, she had to be really bad.

"Can't you just refuse to work for her?"

"It's… not quite as simple as that. She has big money, not to mention influence. The kind of person you don't say no to, you know?"

"Sounds scary…"

"Oh, she is." Roman sipped at his drink and sighed. "To tell you the truth, I'd rather not deal with her at all, but like I said, I can't exactly say no. We need the work anyway, and if we're not involved, she'll just find someone else. Sure, they won't be as good as I am, but I kind of don't want to be on the opposite side from her."

"Now it just sounds complicated." Jaune placed the bowl on the counter and stuck some wafers into it. For added measure, he also took some pieces of chocolate and poked them out of the top, before he handed it to Neo.

She took it happily, and dragged him down by the apron.

When he straightened back up, it was with a crimson face, and him wiping one hand across his cheek. His legs honestly felt a little weak.

Roman, the bastard, laughed his ass off. "Oh, she's not letting you go for the daughter comment, is she?" He grinned and nudged the girl, who ignored him entirely and dug into her treat. "I've never seen her so affectionate, but then again I've never seen her so annoyed, either. You bring out the best and worst in her. Congrats."

He sat down opposite them, still rubbing his cheek and still not trying to look at the pretty girl. She was very small, but it had been more exhausted idiocy that had led to him calling her a child. There was no way he could misinterpret those curves, nor the way she swayed her hips when she moved.

It was far too late when he noticed her eyes locked onto his. She'd seen him looking – and seemed more than pleased. She casually ran her tongue over the spoon in punishment, making sure her mismatched eyes watched him as she did.

Jaune swallowed and tried to ignore the uncomfortable tightening in his pants. If Neo's smug look was any indication, she damn well knew.

"I-Is she ever going to stop getting me back for that? I said sorry."

"A wise man once told me that a man forgets but never forgives, while a woman forgives but never forgets." Roman paused to let the message sink in, and then smirked. "Neo, on the other hand, neither forgives nor forgets. Get used to it."

She winked at him when he turned to look at her, and Jaune groaned to himself. He wasn't sure if it was heaven or hell, but it still left him red in the face and feeling like an idiot.

"How is business going?" Roman asked. "Anything good happen today?"

Jaune regaled the two with his tale of the day, mostly of the teachers from Beacon and their almost-fight. When Roman first came, he and Neo had been almost wary around him, like they expected him to say or do something. When he hadn't, and when it was clear he wasn't going to, they'd quickly relaxed, and they'd become a regular fixture for the last three nights.

Always when he was about to close, and always when he had no one else in the diner.

"Sounds interesting," Roman laughed. "You're certainly drawing your fair share of attention, kid. You sure you want to be the kind of place that caters to huntsmen, though?"

"What do you mean? I'm open to anyone."

"You might be, but it's not the same. You already said you've noticed less custom from normal people, well that isn't an accident. Huntsmen and civilians don't mix."

"I'm a civilian."

"Normal civilians," Roman drawled, rolling his eyes. "You don't count."

"That's nonsense. I've seen loads of huntsmen walking down the streets and no one runs away screaming when they do. Vale is filled with people, both huntsmen and not."

"Yeah, but they don't _mix,_ " he repeated. "They can exist in the same place, but the culture is different, and they don't like to mingle. Look, I'm not trying to trick or even confuse you, Jaune. I'm just answering your unspoken question." He shrugged and finished his drink. "Don't take my word on it, though. Ask around, or better yet, keep your eyes open and see for yourself."

Impatience warred within him for a second, but he forced it down. If he just asked Roman, then he wouldn't get an explanation, and even if he did, he'd still have to see it himself to believe it. "Alright, I'll keep my eyes open."

"And I'll be there to say `I told you so` when you figure it out," Roman laughed, slapping some lien down on the table.

Jaune sighed. "You always tip too high."

"You're open after hours. Consider it a premium rate. Besides, money comes easy to me – it's like a natural gift I have."

"Yeah well, you shouldn't say that too loud. Someone might try to rob you."

"Somehow, I think I'll be okay on that front…" Roman laughed to himself and stood up, picking up his cane once more. He didn't have a limp, so Jaune had no idea why he had such a thing – but Roman _was_ pretty eccentric, so maybe it was a part of the outfit. "See you tomorrow night, kiddo. Thanks for the treat; it's hard to find places open late like this, and even harder to find ones with service like this."

"I literally don't even do anything," he said.

"That's the point. Let's just say I'm used to a _very_ specific reaction from most people. It's nice to find someone who acts normal around us. It's a nice change." Roman smirked when it was clear he didn't understand. "You'll get it in time, kid. Anyway, you ready to go, Neo?"

It was only when Roman said the name that Jaune realised his mistake. He'd turned his back on the girl and left himself open.

He yelped and jumped forward when her hand slapped against his backside. His cheeks, which had only just started to go back to normal, were bright red again, and the girl laughed silently as she sashayed past him.

She made sure to turn and blow him a kiss before she left.

And Roman made sure to laugh himself hoarse at the same time.

Jaune rubbed his behind as they left, trying to regain his racing heart. He'd never received that kind of attention from girls before, and certainly none as pretty as Neo. Heck, even his customers had started to make it a sport to see who could make him blush the most. He groaned in embarrassment and picked up his mop once more.

"Why do I keep getting the weirdest customers?"

* * *

 **If only you knew, Jaune. If only you knew. A double whammy in this chapter, even if I'd originally thought to give each of them their own. It would have been possible to do that with Roman and Neo for sure, but I felt it would have really dragged on this introduction arc a little too much to do that.**

 **And yeah, Jaune's constant state of busy hasn't left him much time to watch news reports or read newspapers, hence him not knowing a thing about Torchwick. Anyway, next chapter in two weeks, as Captain Dragon runs in the interim. I'm enjoying both of those stories at the moment, which is nice. They're both relatively stress-free, even if the tone is massively different.**

 **Oh, and some hints given about how team assignments were different as a result of Jaune's lack of involvement. No Jaune means no Deathstalker, after all, and a markedly different initiation.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 19** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter up, shizzle my nizzle and all that.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

* * *

"Hello there, Jaune."

The voice was familiar, and Jaune looked over to see a middle-aged woman whose brown hair had just started to show hints of grey. He'd never before been one for remembering faces and names, but somehow working like this had worked wonders for his memory and he recognised her instantly.

"Mrs Robertson," he greeted with a smile. "How's it going? I've not seen you and your son for a while."

They'd been regular customers back when he started out, Mrs Robertson along with her eleven-year-old son, Grey. From what he recalled, her husband worked at an office nearby, and they always came to meet him after work so they could spend time together as a family and visit the park. Since there was an hour or so between school ending and Mr Robertson's job, the two of them would usually wait at the diner, and he'd give them some cakes to keep them busy, along with some paper and crayons for Grey.

That had been a regular scene for a while, but he'd noticed their absence a few days ago. He hadn't seen them since. Not until now.

"Ha, yes, well…" She looked away awkwardly. "I felt you perhaps deserved an explanation for why we've been missing. You've been so good to us. My son, especially."

"Did something happen?" Jaune asked. His eyes widened as he realised just how rude a question that might be, and he shook his head a second later. "Forget I asked. You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, and you don't have to explain yourself or something."

"No, no, it's fine." Mrs Robertson laughed prettily and smiled at him. "Grey is fine, as is my husband. There isn't anything wrong, it's just…" She sighed. "How do I put this? We've stopped coming around because… well, it wasn't anything you've done wrong…" She trailed off weakly.

So, it _was_ a choice on their part to stop coming. He'd thought it was, even if he'd decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. And really, what was wrong with that? They were their own people and it wasn't like they _had_ to come to his diner if they didn't want to. Jaune bit down on his disappointment and smiled.

"Like I said, it's fine. If you've found somewhere you like more, that's great an-"

"It's not that," she interrupted. The woman ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "I'm not sure how to say it kindly, so I'll just come out and say it. I don't feel comfortable bringing my son here anymore. It's not you," she added quickly, shooting him her kindest smile. "You're great, Jaune, and little Grey loves you. It's just… things don't feel quite as safe anymore."

She looked towards several guns and weapons lined against the walls meaningfully, and then to their wielders, who chatted and laughed between themselves, occupying more than half of the tables in his diner.

Huntsmen and huntresses…

"I just wanted to explain so you knew," she whispered. "I didn't want you to think you'd done something wrong, because you haven't. You've been amazing."

"You just don't feel comfortable around them," Jaune finished, sighing sadly. He felt a small flash of irritation, not towards her, but more at the thought of anyone being scared of someone like Ruby. "They're not bad people, you know. They're fighting to keep us safe from the Grimm."

"Oh, I know," Mrs Robertson assured. "If it wasn't for them, we'd have been overrun a long time ago. I respect them and I love them for what they do. It's just… I can respect them for what they are and what they do, but I still wouldn't trust my little boy around them. It's not unusual for bad things to happen around huntsmen and huntresses. Especially the younger ones…"

"They'd never do that."

"I'm not saying what they wouldn't _intentionally_ do. More like what might happen accidentally. They don't know their own strength and-" It looked like she wanted to explain some more, but she sighed and gave up. "It doesn't matter. I'm not trying to change your mind, Jaune. I just wanted to talk to you so you didn't think you'd done anything wrong. Grey and I love it here, but I can't risk him. He's my baby, and he's all my husband and I have." She bowed her head. "I'm sorry. Good luck with everything, Jaune."

He watched the woman go sadly, and wondered if he should have said something more. The conversation had already left a foul taste in his mouth, though that wasn't anyone's fault. _Ruby and the others wouldn't ever do something to hurt a child. Would they…?_

No, of course not. The idea was ridiculous. He could imagine Ruby not _knowing_ what to do with a young kid, but she'd never go out of her way to be cruel. She might make some mistakes by not knowing, but he could imagine Yang or Weiss taking over. Maybe if they replaced Blake's book with a children's story, she could manage it too.

He didn't think Mrs Robertson was wrong, though. Or at the very least, she wasn't alone in what she thought. Where he'd started to notice his diner becoming a huntsmen establishment before, it looked like that had been cemented now. A good eighty per cent or more of his clientele came with weaponry beside them, and those that didn't usually came to see the huntsmen. There was a small clique of girls from some upper-year school off to one side, but their eyes were firmly set on a pair of male Beacon students chatting between themselves.

He was fairly sure the girls were only there for the two of them, and judging from the looks on the guy's faces, they knew it too.

Huntsmen and huntresses had that kind of allure. He'd noticed it himself, mainly in how he'd yet to come across one of either gender which could be called ugly or lacking in some way. Team RWBY were knockouts, and even the guys were handsome – either effeminately beautiful, or with a roguish charm that made them stand out. Maybe it was the training, the peak physical fitness, or just something about their confidence. Whatever the case, they drew the eye, and it looked like a few people had noticed.

Team RWBY did the same, really. He wasn't sure they even noticed the college students watching them from a few tables down. Maybe Yang did, but ignored it. He very much doubted the other three had, however. Ruby would have gone bright red otherwise.

 _There's not a civilian adult in sight, though,_ he realised. Not a single person above the age of maybe twenty-two at most, and given that middle aged and above had made up just about three-quarters of his custom just two weeks ago, the absence was easily noticed.

No children, either. None at all…

 _Are they really that intimidated by them? They're just students, and it's not like there are any Grimm around here._ In fact, apart from that general appeal they radiated, they were normal people. Normal people with weapons, yes, but it wasn't like any of them had been discharged. Most of the time, it looked like they carried them around because it felt natural.

With a sigh, Jaune ignored the whole thing and moved out onto the floor, collecting some empty mugs and cups. When he got to Team RWBY's table, Ruby looked up at him with a friendly smile.

"Thanks, Jaune!" She picked up her glass for him, and he held his tray out so she could help him put it on. She didn't have to, but Ruby always did that – and the others had taken to emulating it. It didn't exactly make his job any easier, but it was such a polite thing to do that he smiled nonetheless. They really were great girls.

"No problem, Ruby. What did you think of those cakes? You like them?"

"Did I!? Oh man, those were so good!"

"Got to say I agree," Yang said, flashing him a beautiful smile that would have had his pulse racing if he wasn't already sure she was so out of his league it would be pointless to get excited. "They were so cute, almost like a box of chocolates but cakes instead. They were adorable, right Blake?"

Blake nodded distractedly over her book, "Hm."

Yang rolled her eyes at him.

He laughed silently in return. That was Blake for you. Even from the short amount of time he'd known them, he felt he understood a little bit of their personalities.

"The platter was a good idea," Weiss said, placing her mug gently beside Ruby's. "I do wonder if you haven't made it a little too cheap, however."

"Really? It's pretty much the same price as it would be to order the same quantity but of a single cake."

"Yes, but you have to put in the extra work of arranging and shaping them," she pointed out. "You should have factored that into the price. Your time is a commodity as well, and should have a price tag attached to it. Remember that."

He shuffled awkwardly, but nodded his head nonetheless. She was probably right, even if the thought of over-charging made him feel uncomfortable. The cake platter _had_ become something of a staple now, and it was getting tiring making them all. "Thanks, Weiss. I'll try and figure out a way to do it without making people upset."

"Tell them there was a price increase on you buying the ingredients."

"Lie?"

Weiss sighed and looked towards the ceiling for help. "I'm not saying you have to deceive people. Just that if you don't feel comfortable telling the truth, you'll maybe have to bend it a little. You _could_ just tell people it was hard work and you had to increase the price. They'll understand, or they'll order something else."

"Weiss…" Ruby groaned. "But I _like_ the platter. Don't make it more expensive…"

"I'm not sure why _you're_ complaining. I'm stuck paying for you all the time anyway. Whether the price rises or not is completely irrelevant from your point of view."

Ruby ducked her head and laughed guiltily. "You have more money than I do…"

"Don't you get pocket money from your father?" Weiss asked.

"I do, but… well…"

"It goes on cookies, comics and weapon magazines," Yang drawled.

"YANG!" Ruby gasped. "D-Don't listen to her, Weiss. It's slander!"

"Is it, though?" Blake asked lazily, turning a page. "It sounds like something you would do."

Ruby recoiled as if she'd been slapped. "You too, Blake? It's a mutiny!"

Jaune watched with thinly veiled amusement as Ruby and Yang descended into a fast-paced argument, with the smaller girl waving her arms wildly and Yang teasing in return. Blake went back to her book, while Weiss could only sigh.

"Another set of drinks?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Please. It looks like we'll be here for a while if this is any indication."

Jaune nodded and went back to make them some drinks, then delivered them a few minutes later. Team RWBY were a common and welcome sight for him, and sometimes they even came alone as well. He'd started to learn the names of a few other customers too, people such as Yatsuhashi and Fox, who apparently made up half of a team named CFVY. They always promised to bring their teammates down, though apparently it was hard because their leader instantly ran off to go shopping whenever they came to Vale.

He had a feeling the guys only came here because the alternative was being forced into lugging shopping bags around the mall. It reminded him back of life in Ansel, where he'd try and flee to a café with his Dad so they could avoid being forced to carry the girl's stuff.

Some things were the same whether you were a huntsman or not, it seemed.

So why had everyone started to avoid the place?

/-/

Things started to slow down as the day went on, and Jaune savoured those rare moments of peace where he could sit down behind the counter and rest his legs. Standing had never seemed so arduous a task before. It was exhausting. _Little wonder I'd have never made it in Beacon if I can't do this. How bad would I be actually fighting against Grimm?_

His father's sword, Crocea Mors, was still on the wall behind him, now more an ornament than anything else. He'd felt bad about that at first, but he had a feeling his father would approve. He'd always wanted an easier life for them all. This wasn't exactly what he'd class as easier, but oh well – it paid, he wasn't getting attacked by Grimm, and honestly, if he dared admit it, the work was actually quite fulfilling.

It was a strange and uplifting feeling.

Everything that stood before him, from the chairs to the tables, to the food and drink… it all belonged to him. Sure, some of it was rented and he was still paying it off, the furniture and machinery being a prime example, but it was still his. He'd made this.

When a customer left with a huge smile on their face, it was because of him. He'd served them well, provided good food and drink, or just created a place they could unwind in. Either way, they were happy because of something he'd done, which meant he was responsible for those moments.

It felt good… incredibly so.

"I'm still exhausted, though," he groaned, working his neck to get some kinks out. A yawn escaped him a moment later. That was another weird thing, too. He'd been exhausted before, usually when he tried to do training prior to Beacon, but he'd always hated it. Being tired was a bad thing, especially when it left you with a stitch and a sore throat. There was none of that here. He felt proud of it, and was left with a general sense of a job well done.

Which would have been even better had it been closer to closing time. Sadly it wasn't even four, and the after-work rush had yet to begin.

 _I'll just catch some rest while I can. Team RWBY and the others left to get back to their lessons, so it's not like I need to worry about Beacon students coming._ The teachers would be off doing their own work, too. This would have been a perfect time for the concerned parents to drop by, but it looked like Mrs Robertson's words had proved prophetic.

Roman's too, now that he thought about it. He'd said civilians and huntsmen didn't mix.

"See it for myself, huh?" Jaune rolled his eyes and let out a defeated sigh. "What a cocky guy. He's not going to let me live this one down."

He could just imagine the guy with a huge smile. The words `Told you so, kid` came to mind. Roman would be the kind of person to rub that in, and Neo would probably stand there smirking at him. If she wasn't doing her best to make him blush, that was.

And speaking of blushes…

"Hey, Jaune~"

"Jauuune~"

The two voices echoed through the door in unison, followed by the arrival of both girls stepping in with wide bright eyes and even brighter smiles. One was dressed in white, the other red, but apart from that, they were near mirror images of one another.

One thing was for sure, though. They were very beautiful.

His throat clammed up. "M-Miltia, Melanie. Hey. How's it going?"

The girls glanced at each other and shared a catty grin that instantly put him on edge. As one they turned back and sashayed towards the counter, their hips moving in unison and their eyes locked onto his.

Melanie, the one dressed in white, drew out a stool gracefully with one foot, then leaned her arm on the counter and tilted her head towards his. He wasn't sure if the action was designed to make him notice the swell of her breasts, but he did, and she knew it judging from the coy smile she shot him when he tore his eyes back up to hers.

"I'm good, Jaune," she purred, choosing not to call him out. "It's been a hard day though, hasn't it, Miltia?"

"Sure has." Miltia raised one arm above her head and linked her other with it, stretching her body. Her back arched, the smooth line of her throat bared as she relieved herself. The sounds didn't help. "Mm, hmm… so good. Oh, we've been working _so_ hard."

"It looks like Jaune has too," Melanie pointed out, running a finger over his arm. He swallowed and tried to ignore the goose bumps it caused. "You're pretty quiet right now. Won't you share a table with us? We'll pay."

There was no reason not to. He was tired, the diner was empty, and they were two loyal customers. Well, there was no _professional_ reason not to. There were plenty of other reasons, like how they both seemed to love his reactions, and how his body did too – but in a bad way – and how his pants were feeling a little tight at the moment.

"I-I shouldn't. I can get you some drinks if you like, though?"

The two shared another glance, a giggle, and probably some hidden message. "Okay," Miltia said. "We'll have two chocolate and cream cappuccinos with two straws."

"Make it quick, Jaune~" Melanie blew him a kiss as she went off to join her sister at a small, round table.

Those two would be the death of him. He wasn't sure what he'd done to earn their attention, other than make their favourite drinks, but ever since they'd seen him, they had both taken to making his life equal parts heaven and hell. It wasn't the same as Neo, who liked to make him flush then cackle in victory. The Malachite sisters took things much further.

That wasn't to say they weren't beautiful or that he didn't enjoy the attention. If anything, that was the problem. He enjoyed it too much. _They're just teasing, though. They're out of my league anyway. Most of the girls who come here are._ Besides, who wanted to eat somewhere and have the waiter try to chat you up? That had to be annoying. He'd already decided he wouldn't let his hormones ruin this job.

He wouldn't try and flirt with any of his customers. That way led ruin – both of the financial and self-respect variety. He hadn't exactly been a hit with the ladies back home. Then again, his sisters hadn't exactly helped…

"Here you go," he said, laying the two drinks down. He also placed a fresh platter of cakes before them, knowing they'd love it. "I'll jus-huh?"

There was a hand around each of his wrists, and the two girls smiled up at him.

"Did you think we'd give up so easily?" Miltia asked. She dragged him down with a girlish giggle, and Melanie helped her, pushing him into the seat between the two of them. His arms bumped against theirs and he froze up, more than aware of how close they were, if only because of the scent of their perfume. It was heady and intoxicating, and also different for each of them.

He wasn't sure why it was that he noticed, but he did.

"One is for you," Melanie said, pushing the drink towards him.

"What about-?" He trailed off when they dug the two straws into the last cup and shared it between them. That must have been their plan from the start. He sighed. "You two…"

"Hm, what about us?" Melanie made a happy noise as she sipped from the straw. "You should be grateful we came by to make you rest. You look exhausted."

"Such a hard worker," Miltia agreed, making a circle on the back of his palm with her finger. He wasn't sure if he should move his hand away or not. Would it be obvious if he did? Would it send the wrong message if he didn't? "All work and no play makes Jaune a dull boy."

What _was_ the message he wanted to send, anyway?

"You should come and work for us."

"Miltia," Melanie hissed. "He can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because then who would work here and make cakes?"

"Ooh, good point." Miltia nodded and look up at him apologetically. "I'm sorry Jaune, but you can't work for us. It wouldn't work out."

His brow twitched. "I didn't even say I wanted to!"

"It's not you," Melanie agreed with a sigh. "It's us."

"We're not ready for that kind of commitment."

"Sorry, Jaune..."

He growled something under his breath, mostly because his cheeks were too red and he couldn't actually find any words to say. The devious twins shared a look filled with amusement. All of it was at his expense, of course.

"You two will be the death of me, you know?"

"I hope not. Where would we find coffee like this if you died?" Melanie cupped two fingers to her lips and gasped. "Oh, and companionship as well," she hurried, voice thick with insincerity. "We obviously care for you as well, right Miltia?"

"Of course…" The twin in red batted her eyes sarcastically at him. "I care more than Mel, though."

"Oh, is that so, sister?"

"Yep. Red is the colour of passion, after all."

Miltia pressed her breasts against his arm as she said that. Her eyes fluttered up towards him, her lips parted as she breathed out softly onto his cheek. She was teasing him. He knew that. She wasn't being serious.

Why could his body not realise that?

"Hmph, as though Jaune would be interested in something like that. White is the colour of purity and innocence."

"Innocence," Miltia drawled. "You!?"

"S-Shut up. What is that supposed to mean?"

"I think you know, Melanie."

"I don't think I do. Maybe I'll ask you to elaborate as I smash your face through this table, hm?"

"Try it, bitch."

"Skank!"

Jaune's eyes widened as he realised just where the conversation was going – and at a fast clip, too. He held his arms out between them, putting his face in the way. "Whoa, whoa, calm down! There's no need for fighting. You can't…" He trailed off.

Melanie smirked at him. Miltia had one elbow propped on the table, her cheek resting on her palm. Neither had made a move to attack the other, and both looked far too amused at his panic.

He groaned and cupped his face with both hands.

"I hate you both."

The two burst into laughter, Miltia pushing off him as she leaned back and laughed into her hand. It lasted for a good minute or so, even if it wasn't really that funny. Then again, it was probably his bright red face that kept setting them off. That and his pathetically weak glares. It was hard to give them a serious glare when their legs kept brushing against his.

And they knew that, damn it.

"Oh, you're so precious," Melanie said once they were both finally done. "You really are the cutest, and you have the best reactions, too."

"Not like the idiots we work with," Miltia agreed, her kind and gentle voice now replaced with something a little more caustic – something a little more honest, yet no less alluring. "Junior's cool, but he's gotten used to us and he's our boss. The boys, though? Ugh."

"They start off as cocky little shits, but that soon goes away. Problem is, they lose whatever spine they had before." Melanie hesitated. "Well… I guess it doesn't help that the older ones always tell them we're off limits of how scary we are."

"Which we are," Miltia added. "They're not lying."

"True, but it takes away our fun."

"And that's why you come to torture me instead?" Jaune asked. His face was flat, but his red ears gave him away. "I _could_ bar you from the diner, you realise. It's within my power."

"Oh dear…" Miltia's shifted her legs beneath the table, dragging her leg up the inside of his. "And whatever would I have to do to earn back the right to enter?" She leaned forward and licked her lips. "Sexual favours, perhaps?"

It was too much. Jaune surged to his feet so fast he slammed his knees against the table, then fell back down with a groan of pain. "M-M-Miltia! Too far!"

"Heh. You're such a virgin."

His face was aflame, and their laughter didn't help. "S-So? I'm a virgin. Is that so weird?"

"I dunno," Miltia said. "You're what, eighteen?"

"Seventeen."

"Meh, I'd say fifty-fifty. It's not weird either way, but the way you react is cute. I can't help it. It's like… it's like teasing a puppy to see its reaction."

"If you didn't get so worked up, we wouldn't do it," Melanie said. "Then again, if that happened, we might get bored and not come around so much." She grinned at him. "Maybe you like it so much you put a show on for us. Maybe you don't _want_ to get used to it."

"No… this is my actual reaction," Jaune said, groaning into the palm of one hand. "It's not like I've ever had a girlfriend before, so I guess I get worked up. You two hardly help, though," he glowered. "I won't ban you, but I can still cut you off from treats for a day."

"And I'll come pester you to give me some," Miltia said, utterly unconcerned with his threat. She looked him up and down carefully, then tilted her head to the side and hummed.

He blinked back. "What? Is there something on my face?"

"No. I'm just wondering if I would."

"Would what…?"

Miltia smiled evilly. "Wouldn't you like to know? It's girl talk. What do you think, sister? Would or wouldn't?"

"Well, he's not bad for sure. I wouldn't say one worth hunting down, but I might be interested if the opportunity came up. Nothing bad to look at and in good shape - and not an arrogant bastard either. It would be a first, too. Those are important."

"A man always remembers it," Miltia nodded. "Oh, it might be fun to be that. Can you imagine how it might be? With nothing to compare it to, you would become unforgettable. Would it forever linger in memory? Would it be what they think of late at night?"

"Hmm, I can imagine." Melanie chuckled darkly, watching him with lidded eyes. "Still, it might be fun. I'll say it's in the `would` column. You?"

"Oh, I _definitely_ would. Just for fun, of course. I'm not ready for anything more."

Jaune looked between the two, trying to figure out what they meant. Their eyes were on him, though they glanced back to throw more veiled phrases towards one another every now and then. Even so, he couldn't help but feel like he was being measured in some way.

"This is one of those conversations where I need subtitles, isn't it?" he asked.

"Only if you're an idiot," Miltia snorted.

"Or innocent," her sister added, "which we know you are. Don't worry, Jaune." She patted his cheek lightly. "We'll take care of you. You're our favourite right now~"

"Your favourite what? Barista?"

Melanie smiled coyly but didn't say anything more. Miltia, as always, was far less subtle.

"Tell you what, Jaune. If you ever ask me to, I'll say yes right then and there. Okay?"

"You'll say yes to what?" he asked.

She leaned forward and pushed her fingers against his lips. "Figure it out and you'll see. You'll like it. Trust me."

"You two are really weird," Jaune mumbled past her finger.

"No, we're just normal, everyday girls. You're the silly one, but you _are_ blonde, so we'll let it go." She patted his arm. "Only because you're adorable, though. If you were all stuck-up, I'd have to cut you." She flashed a set of crimson claws, but they vanished a second later. Where, he had no idea. He really thought he should have been more worried about that than he was.

Subtitles… definitely a conversation that needed subtitles. He shook his head and sighed. _I suppose I'll have to figure it out later. It's not like they'll ever give me a straight answer._ "Enough with the word games," he sighed. "Isn't it four yet? I'm pretty sure Junior will start acting up if he doesn't get his caffeine fix."

"The man works behind a bar. He has soda on tap."

"I think he's trying to get rid of us, Miltia," Melanie teased. "I think he's a little flustered by us."

"Oh dear, really?" Miltia pressed her breasts against his arm once more and leaned in close. Too close. One of her legs actually mounted his as she pushed her face close to his. "Really, Jaune? Do we make you nervous, Jaune? Does this make you feel funny, Jaune?"

"T-Too close…"

Miltia held her face so close to his he could _taste_ her breath. She might have done more, had it not been for her control breaking. She sniggered before she could stop herself, and quickly descended into laughter a second later.

"It's too much fun," she said, sighing to herself as she extricated her body from his. "Ah, you're the best thing to happen around here lately. You really are." She flicked her hair back and skipped over to her sister. "You need to come around the club some time. We'll do you free entry and drinks."

"And maybe other things if you ask nicely."

"Maybe~"

"I'll keep it in mind," he said, for what felt like the fifth time. "You know I work late. It'll have to be when I get settled in enough to take a day off or hire some part-time staff."

"We could provide some."

"Part-time staff that aren't gangsters, Melanie."

"Boo. You're so picky." Melanie laid a hand on his left arm, and Miltia took the right. "Even so, the offer still stands. You need to loosen up and relax. You'll never get rid of that pesky V-card if you work all day, every day. Get out and meet some people."

And now they sounded like his Mom. That was more than a little awkward. They were probably right, though. All work and no play wasn't going to do anything but wear him out. "Tell you what, if I make up enough money at the end of the month, then I promise I'll come down for a night. That sound good?"

Apparently, it did.

"Really!?"

"You promise?" Melanie asked, surprised. "Oh, who am I kidding? You're one of those guys who always does what they say, aren't you? Such a goody-goody. Well then, we'll hold you to that. Right, sis?"

"Damn right. I hope you can dance, lover-boy."

"I think I ca-" His words cut off as the bell on the door jingled, it opening far harder than it had any right to and slamming back against the wall. The person that pushed through was familiar, and judging by her red face, she'd run the entire way.

"Hey Jaune," Yang Xiao-Long yelled. "I lost my scroll somewhere. Did you see-"

She saw the two girls hanging off him.

Her eyes flashed red.

/-/

Yang took the scene in instantly. The two sisters – the same ones from Junior's club, and they each had a hand on Jaune, who looked none the wiser as to who they were or why he shouldn't be near them. They didn't have their weapons out, but she knew that could change without warning.

 _They've got him and I can't do anything while that's the case. I should have let the others help me look for my scroll. Damn it._ Yang looked for any help, but the diner was empty apart from them. A perfect time for some mobsters like them to come by and try to shake him down. That he was unhurt was a good sign – she'd got here in time.

"Let him go and get out of here," she said. "If you're quick about it, we won't have any trouble."

"Oh, we won't? Isn't that kind of her, Melanie?"

The first turned to the second, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, so sweet. Sorry, Blondie, but we didn't come here to leave straight after. We've got an order, and we need a certain someone to fulfil that for us." The white-dressed girl leaned on Jaune's arm, her fingers trailing up his shoulder. "Why don't you split and leave it to us?"

And leave him with the two of them? Not happening. Ruby would freak if she found out something happened to her best friend. Yang wasn't going to be the one responsible for that. Besides, she liked the guy too.

Ember Celica clicked into place. The twins clearly recognised it and took a step back. Good.

Jaune was less pleased.

"H-Hey, no violence in the diner! Yang, please. It's fine. They're customers!"

"You've got no idea who they are!"

"Huh, they're Miltia and Melanie…"

Not what she meant, but that was fine. If he'd known the truth, he'd have been more afraid – but maybe ignorance was bliss. It wouldn't keep him safe if they decided to rough him up, however. That was up to a huntress like her.

Yang lunged.

Her fists thrust forward to fire a shot, but it wasn't like she was going to unload in a friend's place. The Malachites didn't know that, though, and raised their hands to shield their faces. That took them off Jaune, which was her main goal. _Got to get him out before he gets hurt!_

There was no time to be fancy, and no time to risk him. She caught him by the elbow and tugged him back and behind her – planning to cover him with her own body until they could get out of range. She dragged him roughly behind her, ignoring his sharp gasp.

There was no ignoring the crack, however.

/-/

He wasn't sure how it happened. One moment he'd been between the two sisters, and the next – Yang had his arm in a grip of pure steel and was pulling him away. He didn't have the time to complain, nor even to resist. Yang dragged him back behind her.

She meant well. He knew that.

She thought he was in trouble, that he needed help… that she was the only one around to provide it. That was probably why Melanie and Miltia didn't stop her, because they figured it would be safer if they didn't intervene and start a fight.

His body sailed back, still propelled from her initial tug and unable to catch his footing. She kept hold as he stumbled past, maybe thinking it a better idea not to let him fall through a window. Like a ball on the end of a piece of string, his body swung back, fuelled by her momentum. Her grip was tight, pulling him to a stop. The string, his arm, snapped taut.

Something had to give. With aura, training, and muscles like steel - it wasn't Yang.

It was a dry, crunchy sound that echoed unreasonably through the room, shocking even him by the sheer volume. A volume he could feel rumbling through his body. It took him a good second or two to realise what had happened – and a second longer for feeling to kick in.

Even then, he was so shocked that it came out more as a gasp than a cry.

"Oh…"

It didn't express what he felt. Not even close. Agony seared through his left arm and raced up to his shoulder, where something throbbed, pulsed and twisted in equal measure. His legs buckled as a feeling of intense nausea rushed through him. It didn't get any better when he saw the shape of his shoulder. Though no flesh had torn, it was aligned in a way that could only be called wrong.

Yang gasped.

"Oh my God…"

Melanie stepped back. "I-I'll call an ambulance!"

"You fucking idiot!" Miltia roared. "What were you thinking!?"

"I-I didn't mean to… I-I just pulled him back!"

Yang's face filled his vision. She was frightened and afraid, her eyes filled with such horror and guilt that he wanted nothing more than to pretend nothing had happened, just to make her feel better. He couldn't, however. He couldn't say anything at all. His teeth were clenched shut, a low whine all he could manage. His eyes were filled with tears.

She hadn't meant to.

Yang hadn't meant to hurt him.

Miltia and Melanie hadn't meant to put him in danger.

It was an accident. No one was to blame.

But at that moment, as his vision faded, as he felt hands settle him down to the floor, even as Melanie's voice echoed in the background, calling out his address. At that very moment, he understood. Understood why huntsmen and civilians didn't mix. Why Mrs Robertson had hidden Grey away and wouldn't be coming back.

Because what a huntsmen meant, and what they were capable of, were two different things. Huntsmen and huntresses were brave, skilled and powerful.

He wasn't.

He was fragile.

* * *

 **Sudden drama is sudden! Don't worry, this isn't a full-on genre shift.**

 **Okay, I'll head this off here. No, this isn't character bashing. Already had that with a Hunter or Something where you write one scene where a beloved character is seen in a bad light and "oh noes, it's bashing". This isn't that. Yang made a mistake, but she acted on the limited information she had and** _ **had**_ **to make a decision. Was it the right one? No. Does that make her a bitch? Not really.**

 **Do I think she could unintentionally do this? Well, yes… yes, I do. We see that Yang can punch a huge robot into a bridge if she is in the mood, so accidentally dislocating the arm of someone who doesn't even have aura? Very possible, and honestly, dangerously possible for someone who isn't used to holding back for weaker people.**

 **What will this mean for Jaune?**

 **Will he even be able to run his diner?**

 **Who will Ozpin kill for cutting off his coffee? (Probably Ironwood. Always blame Ironwood.)**

 **Find out next time, on… Service with a Dislocated Shoulder.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 3** **rd** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here is the next chapter, have fun.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

* * *

It was either testament to Vale's skilled medical practitioners, or the quality of the painkillers he'd been stuffed with, but Jaune didn't even feel his shoulder being pushed back into place. He heard it, not to mention that he felt the vibrations running through his body, but there was no pain or discomfort, and the whole thing was treated more like a routine than anything else by the doctor. That kept him calm, at least, since the middle-aged man either knew exactly what he was doing, or was an expert at faking it.

"And there we go, Mr Arc," he said, stepping back with a soft smile. "You'll need to keep your left arm in a sling for a while, but there doesn't seem to be any torn tissue or fractures. You're rather fortunate on that front, I expect."

He didn't feel very fortunate, but nodded anyway. His arm felt stiff and lifeless, but that was probably the drugs speaking. He made to move it, but the doctor caught him by the elbow before he could.

"I'd prefer if you held yourself back from moving it too much. The dislocation was clean, so your arm is technically healed. That said, it will be sore for a few days, and it would be for the best if you didn't exert yourself too much."

"How long?" he asked.

"I would say two to three days before you can remove the sling."

So soon? Jaune smiled stupidly and let out a long breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding. That would mean a lost day of revenue, but it was Tuesday tomorrow, and he had Wednesdays off – so there wouldn't be any losses that day. If he could get back to work after that, it would be like nothing had ever happened.

"You'll need to rest your arm for several weeks after that," the doctor continued, settling behind his desk as he typed something into the computer – presumably updating his medical records. "I'd say around ten or so weeks to recover entirely, but you should regain mobility rather quickly. Heavy lifting and sports are off the cards, and I'd advise you to push yourself out of bed with your other arm if possible. You'd be surprised how many people pop the joint again like that." The man looked up, and quickly realised the rapid-fire instructions weren't quite penetrating his drug-muddled brain. "I'll write you up a pamphlet you can take away."

"Thank you." It took a force of effort to not move his left arm. It wasn't the discomfort, but rather the fact he'd been told not to, which paradoxically made him want to. "I only work as a barista, so it's not like the work is too strenuous."

"And can you tell me you don't have to lift any heavy boxes?"

Jaune bit his lip. There were crates to move when an order came in, not to mention milk and water to be poured into the machines, along with the cakes he had to transport from the bakers to his display cases. The list went on, but his silence was all the answer the doctor needed.

"As I suspected. While I have no right to tell you how to live your life, I believe it would be in your best interest to hire some help to handle several of those tasks – at least until you've regained your mobility."

"I'm… not quite settled in enough to afford that," Jaune admitted. His cheeks flushed as he did and he looked away. No one liked to admit they were broke. "I'll think of something."

"I'm sure you will." The doctor tapped his pen on the table. "As I said, I cannot force the issue. You need to take some time to think about your health, however. If you strain yourself, I'll be seeing you again, and the damage might be greater in the future. I'll advise you to think long and hard on this, Mr Arc. You only have the one body."

"Yeah, I know…"

The Doctor regarded him for a second, before he nodded and went back to typing into his terminal. He paused occasionally to fill him in on several things, from how he should wash himself with the sling, to what exercises might let him ease any discomfort he felt. Come the end of it, he'd been provided with a printed-off list of information he could refer to should he need it. Before he could stand to leave, however, the man stopped him.

"There is one more matter. I understand this injury was caused by a Huntress."

"That's right. It was an accident."

"Are you sure of that?"

Jaune paused. The mood in the small office suddenly felt a lot less comforting. "What do you mean?"

"I am a Doctor, Mr Arc, which means this meeting between us is confidential. You need not fear of anyone finding out or hearing anything from me. Should you wish to press charges, I can-"

"What? No!" He shook his head. "No charges. I don't want to press anything. It was an accident, and probably my fault for not explaining things. Yang is a friend of mine." Sort of. She was Ruby's sister, so that was close enough. "There wasn't anything malicious about it."

"You are certain?"

"Yes!"

The man watched him for a few seconds, before he nodded. All of a sudden, the tension that had filled the air dissipated, and he typed something into his computer again. "I'm glad to hear it," he said. "I apologise if the question distressed you in any way. I am just doing my job."

"It's fine, but… why ask in the first place? I already told you how it happened."

"Yes, but it is not uncommon for people to feel they cannot speak out. When the person who harmed you is so powerful-" the Doctor's words trailed off. "Never mind, it's not relevant if you're happy this wasn't intentional. You are free to go, Mr Arc. If you feel anything unusual, or need any further advice, please feel free to seek me out. I have also provided a prescription for some painkillers. You can get them at the front desk."

"Thank you." Jaune took the slip of paper and bit his lip. Despite his attempts to keep his voice even, it wavered a little. "How much do I owe you?"

"The bill has already been paid."

Shock flitted through him, and his mouth fell open. "How?" he gasped. "By who?"

"According to my records, there were two parties who attempted to cover the bill. The second was rejected as there was no account remaining. The costs were covered by Beacon Academy, however, and processed by one Glynda Goodwitch." The Doctor looked up and smiled at him. "I'm sure she will be able to explain in full. I believe she is waiting outside."

/-/

The minutes ticked by with a torturous lack of haste. A bland tune played out over old speakers that clicked and fizzed occasionally, while other people in the waiting room occasionally coughed or shifted on plastic seats. The only other sounds were the occasional whispered conversation, before even those died out. Yang wished there were some bratty kids playing on the toys, if only to offer a distraction.

She hated waiting. She'd never been good at it. Not in the past, and certainly not now, as she sat with her knees apart and her hands clasped between them. Her eyes were locked to the blue carpet, picking out individual pieces of thread, and the dust that littered them.

Each tick of the clock echoed loudly, while the stupid thing's plastic, smiling face continued to mock and gloat.

She hated it.

None of the others spoke, either. Yang wasn't sure if she was relieved about that or not. Team RWBY had received the garbled message from her an hour ago, and rushed over as fast as they could. There hadn't been so much as a word shared between them, and that hardly improved when Miss Goodwitch arrived, her face set from granite. They'd been waiting ever since.

One of the speakers crackled to life. "Miss Goodwitch of Beacon. Miss Goodwitch of Beacon."

The seat to Yang's left creaked as the woman rose. She felt a hand fall on her shoulder, and she flinched. "Come along, Miss Xiao-Long. The rest of you stay here."

Ruby looked up. "Can't we-"

"No."

"O-Okay…" Ruby shot Yang a worried look.

Yang wasn't sure if she would be fine, so didn't bother to say so. She stood as best she could, suddenly aware of how weak her legs felt, and followed the older woman through the glass and plastic doors. A nurse met them there, and quickly led them into a pristine, white room with a single desk. Jaune was nowhere to be seen.

"Take a seat," the nurse said, doing as much on the other side. "Mr Arc has given permission for us to fill you in on what happened, and as the ones covering his medical costs; you are entitled to a basic explanation."

"Is he well?" Glynda asked.

"There were no complications. Mr Arc suffered from a dislocated shoulder, but it was clean and quickly set. I would not expect any lingering issues so long as he follows the Doctor's instructions. I've been advised to tell you that he has chosen not to press charges."

Yang's body didn't relax, even if she let out a quick breath. Beside her, Glynda nodded, somehow calmer in the situation. Maybe she'd been here before. Maybe this was nothing new. To Yang, it was. Her eyes clenched shut.

"You're free to see him," the nurse said.

"Before we do, may I borrow your office for a moment?"

The nurse looked down to Yang and back up to Glynda. She didn't answer, but slowly pushed her chair back and moved to the door. It closed behind her with a soft click. Only the two of them remained, and Yang's shoulders bunched up even further.

"Look at me, Miss Xiao-Long."

She tried. She really did. In the end, it was the hand reaching below her chin which forced her to meet her teacher's eyes. Guilty, frustrated tears stung at them.

Miss Goodwitch sighed.

"I-I-I'm prepared to f-face anything," Yang stammered. She hated how close she sounded to crying. She clenched her eyes shut to try and ward off any outburst, and swallowed the breath that caught in her throat. When she spoke again, she sounded a little calmer. Sounded, not felt. "I know what I did, and… and I'm prepared for the consequences."

"Prepared, indeed," Glynda sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You will have several detentions with me."

Yang waited for the rest.

"And…?" she prompted, when nothing came.

"And that will be it."

"What!?" Yang made to stand, but wasn't quite able to. Her knees hit the desk, rattling it, and she fell back into her seat. Her eyes were wide, however. Wide and angry. "How can that be it? I dislocated a civilian's arm! I _broke_ an innocent person. How am I not being expelled, or suspended, or – or something!?"

"Do you wish to be expelled?"

"No. Yes. Maybe…" Yang gripped her head. "I don't know. I just… I don't know."

"You want to stop feeling guilty for what happened, and feel that if you are punished it might go some way towards achieving that. Am I correct?"

Yang nodded after a moment's hesitation.

"Would that guilt could be assuaged so easily, none of us would dwell on it. Even so, I do not believe you need to hold yourself quite as accountable as you do. I certainly don't. I doubt he does, either."

How could she say that? How could a teacher make it sound like it was okay for her to hurt something like that? She was supposed to be training to become a Huntress, someone who protected people who couldn't protect themselves.

But who was going to protect people like Jaune from her?

"Miss Xiao-Long…" Glynda paused. "Yang," she continued in a softer voice. "The differences between a Huntress-in-training and a regular civilian are many. From how we think, how we act, even to the culture we have and what we think. Huntresses and Huntsmen react to stimuli in different ways. We even react to things like grief and excitement differently. It is to be expected that there will be clashes at times… and yes; sometimes this can take a physical nature as well. I have had the misfortune to be in this position before, and I will tell you now that what you did is far less than what I've seen before."

"What kind of things?"

"You are a teenager. You all are. I have seen drink and drugs temporarily addle the minds of the most gentle and caring of students, turning them into dangerous idiots. I've seen a moment of weakness driving someone to lash out at another who didn't deserve it. I have even seen jealousy over a scorned lover create conflict that has led to broken bones and shattered friendships. These happen naturally between Huntsmen, but also between civilians. People fight and people are hurt. It only becomes a serious problem when it mixes between the two. A Huntsman or Huntress can cause grievous injury to someone who isn't trained." Glynda placed a hand on Yang's shoulder. "Yours was an accident, and from what I understand caused more from concern than malicious intent."

"I still hurt someone who couldn't fight back," she whispered. "I broke my sister's best friend. Literally."

"And you'll likely continue to feel guilty about that for some time, or at least until the memory fades. I suppose my telling you not to blame yourself will have little effect. Goodness knows no one can be as critical as we can in our own minds."

"You need to practise your control," Glynda continued. "Like many of our students, you've spent your life surrounded by people who not only have aura, but who are hardy from training. You have a Huntsman father and a Huntress mother, while your uncle is a Huntsman that teaches at Signal. Your friends were probably students from there, and later from Beacon. Tell me; how many civilian friends have you had in the past?"

None. Their cabin was out in the woods of Patch. Those forests could become infested with Grimm at any given moment.

"As I thought. Dogs learn to moderate the force of their bites through play with other dogs, and children do the same when interacting between themselves. Given that you've grown up almost exclusively with Huntsmen or those training towards that, it's understandable that you might underestimate your strength, especially given your particular skillset."

"My skillset…?"

"You are a melee fighter who relies on strength and physical fitness," Glynda explained. She pinched Yang's bicep, and made a point of how the skin did not depress much. "You have higher muscle mass than any of your teammates. Miss Rose is effectively reliant on her scythe, so unless she was to attack Mr Arc out of hand, or crash into him via her Semblance, she would likely be unable to injure him. Miss Schnee and Belladonna are the same, though not quite as frail. They _could_ hurt him, yes. But that would need to do so intentionally. You, on the other hand, are stronger than the average person by far. Even an accident on your end can prove dangerous."

Yang swallowed and shrank in on herself, or she would have if Miss Goodwitch hadn't gripped her arm a little tighter and prevented it.

"That is not something to feel ashamed of. Accidents happen, and they were almost always more likely to happen to you. That is a disadvantage you have had to live with, and one which has now taught you a valuable lesson. That it hasn't until now is a sign of how well you have adapted up to this point. Remember it, and feel grateful for the fact you learned it now where no one was overly harmed." The woman rose, gesturing for Yang to do the same. "Come, let us go and meet with Mr Arc."

Meet him? The mere thought was enough to make her stomach twist, but at the same time she knew it couldn't be put off forever. She nodded woodenly and followed after Glynda, through the door and out into the corridor, then further down and back to the waiting room. To her surprise, Jaune was already there, and was surrounded by Ruby.

How that was possible was mostly due to her Semblance and the fact she was rapidly circling him, checking every angle for injuries as she rattled off questions not even Oobleck would have been able to keep up with.

"Give him some space!" Weiss snapped, catching Ruby by the hood as she made to streak by again. The younger girl came to a screeching halt. "If you keep up like that, you'll make him dizzy. I'm glad to see you're okay, Jaune." The latter was directed to him. "Are you in pain?"

"N-No…" He looked a little dazed, probably from trying to keep up with Ruby. "I have painkillers, so I'm okay. Where-" His eyes caught hers across the waiting room and his words trailed off. Yang shrank back, but was prevented from fleeing by Miss Goodwitch, who pushed her forward with one hand.

She came to a nervous stop in front of him. "H-Hey, Jaune."

He smiled a weak smile. "Hello, Yang."

Her words clogged in her throat. He didn't look upset, and for some reason it was she who was afraid to meet his eyes. She focused lower instead, which proved a mistake as her eyes settled on the blue cloth that made up his sling. His arm was concealed by it, but she could still hear the sound of it cracking. Could _feel_ it coming apart like dry twig in her hand. She shivered.

Blake coughed meaningfully.

"I'm sorry for what happened," Yang gasped, eyes closed. "I didn't mean to and it was wrong, but… but I understand if you can't forgive me. I was out of line and shouldn't have been so rough. I'm sorry."

"It's fine-"

"It's not fine!" she snapped, and for the first time looked up to glare at him. "It's not fine, and I wish everyone would stop acting like it is!"

"Yang…"

"Quiet, Ruby." She pushed her little sister away and squared up to the civilian in front of her. "I broke your arm! I ignored everything you tried to say and forced you to do what _I_ wanted. I thought I knew better, and because of that, I've gone and crippled you. How is any of that okay? How is that not a big deal? Why aren't you angry with me!?"

Jaune stared at her in surprise, and Yang let Weiss and Miss Goodwitch pull her away, even if she continued to stare at him. Why? How? It didn't make sense. Huntresses helped people against Grimm and criminals, both of which sought to hurt the innocent civilians of Vale. Where she now stood in that equation was obvious.

"It's dislocated, not broken."

"Same difference!"

"Ah, I guess." He laughed nervously and made to scratch his head, only to wince as his arm didn't move. When Ruby looked like she might rush over to help – maybe even to scratch his head for him – he stepped back and out of the way. His eyes returned to Yang's a second later. "Look, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to be angry at you," he said. "Annoyed, I'll admit, but that's more at me for not explaining things better. I mean, maybe I'm a little mad, but not to the level you're suggesting."

"Why not?" Yang practically begged. "I attacked you."

"You grabbed my hand and tried to pull me to one side," Jaune pointed out. "My sisters do that all the time. Hell, anyone could do that."

"Not everyone could pull your arm out of its socket."

"No, but I could have tripped and done it to myself just as easily. Or I could have been accepted into Beacon and died when the initiation thing happened." He shrugged with his good shoulder. "There are way worse things that can happen just as easily. I think I'd be upset if you meant it. I'd probably be afraid of you, too," he admitted. "I mean, you are all much stronger than me, so I know you could probably all kill me if you wanted to. There wouldn't be anything I could do about it if you did."

She wasn't the only one to look uncomfortable at that. In fact, Miss Goodwitch was the only one who not showing some kind of distress. Ruby had her eyes on the floor, while Weiss had hers closed and Blake looked positively _agonised_.

"But the thing is, anyone could do that if they wanted to badly enough. Any of my customers could bring a knife or a gun and kill me, but it's not like I can spend the rest of my life being paranoid about it." He grinned lopsidedly. "If you ever punched me, I would. I think I'd probably ban you from the diner. But for accidentally doing this when you didn't mean to? When you didn't even _think_ it was a possibility that could happen?" Jaune sighed. "I don't think I could do that if I tried. Kids accidentally break their best friend's arm in primary school. It doesn't mean one has to go to prison or live a life of eternal shame."

No, but she wasn't a kid, and this wasn't a playground. She should have known better.

"How long do you have to stay like that?" Ruby asked, filling the uncomfortable silence that had settled between them. Ruby looked worried still, but better than she had when she first arrived. There hadn't been any accusations, but Yang had seen the fear. Ruby had been terrified she'd gone and accidentally killed her friend.

"Two or three days for the sling to come off, and two or three months until everything is healed."

"What's going to happen to the diner?"

"I can still run it once the sling's gone," Jaune said. "I can't do much heavy lifting, so I might need to ask for help with that. I think Miltia and Melanie will spare some of their guys to help in the mornings, though. They're always offering." He laughed awkwardly at that, and no one noticed her flinch. Those two were friends with him, and she'd gone and acted like it was the opposite. If only she'd listened. "Anyway, this isn't really going to affect me. If anything, it'll be a convenient excuse for any slow service."

"You might even get higher tips out of pity," Blake teased.

"Hey, I'll take whatever I can get."

"What about tomorrow?" Yang interrupted.

"Huh?"

"You said you can continue working after the sling is off. What happens tomorrow?"

There was a moment or two before Jaune answered, and when he did, his voice was quiet. "I guess we'll be shut tomorrow. It's just one day. I'll be fine." He said it so calmly, so easily, that she almost believed him.

Almost. He was Ruby's friend, which meant he shared more than he probably should with her, and Yang knew he still had to gather as much as he could to see whether he could stay in business. Her actions – her stupid, foolish actions – would cost him a day's earnings. Worse, he'd still have whatever costs he had for that day.

Guilt tore through her. It would be her fault if he went out of business. Even if he didn't, he was going to suffer because of her. Already was suffering. Her head rose before she could stop it, her mouth opening. "I'll do it."

Ruby, Weiss and Blake turned to stare at her.

"What?"

"I'll run the diner," Yang said. "I'll work for you tomorrow and keep it open."

"Yang," Ruby whispered. "You don't know the first thing about doing that…"

She clenched her teeth together. "I can learn. I'm not stupid."

"And what of your lessons?" Miss Goodwitch asked. One of her brows was raised, but she didn't look against the idea… more like she wanted to see what Yang would think up.

"I could study outside of lesson-time," she offered. "Or I'll take detentions where I can study. It would just be the one day until he's able to move around again."

"You realise those would have to take place in your free time?"

She was actually considering it? Shock warred with surprise across Yang's face, but she forced herself to nod. "That's fine with me. Whenever and wherever."

"I'll help!" Ruby chirped, hopping up to stand beside her. She wilted a little when Glynda crossed her arms, but struggled on. "I-If that's okay, I mean? I want to help…"

"It might be better with more of us working together," Weiss said, stepping forward.

Yang's mouth fell open.

"Weiss…" Ruby whispered, either awed or afraid. Who was this, and what had she done with their prickly teammate!?

"Don't look at me like that," said teammate hissed. "The two of you know nothing about customer service, and Yang's knowledge on coffee extends to hot water on beans." Weiss smirked when Yang's cheeks coloured. "I am already his business consultant and I won't see him go bust while I'm here. My reputation would be ruined. I would never live it down!"

"Is that the only reason?" Blake asked.

Weiss snorted. "Of course it is. You're coming as well?"

"Might as well. I can't be the only one on the team not to."

Yang's voice almost broke. "You guys…"

"Ahem," Miss Goodwitch coughed, drawing attention to her. "While this is all very inspiring and such, I can't help but think you've missed my point about lessons. Your desire to help Mr Arc speaks well of you all, but your education is just as important, if not more so."

"Please, Miss Goodwitch," Ruby begged, hands held together before her chest. "Please…"

"I am not going to be swayed by begging, Miss Rose."

"Then how about reasoning?" Weiss offered. "Look at Yang. She isn't going to be able to concentrate in class if she's thinking about how someone can't earn the money they need to live because of her. She'll be next to useless. Would it not be better to let her handle this? People have days off school for sickness and they're able to catch up. We can, too."

Yang nodded eagerly. "I'll catch up. You know my grades are good, professor."

"They are," Glynda conceded. "Despite your behaviour in class…"

Yeah, well, how she acted and what she submitted were two different things. Her Dad and Uncle were teachers, and while you didn't want your parents to know you were getting low grades, you definitely didn't want to hand in crappy homework _to_ your family. Like it or not, she was smart. Ruby wasn't the only hard-worker in the family.

Glynda looked to them, and then looked over to Jaune, who had been cautiously silent the entire time. There was no telling what he thought of the idea, but the fact he hadn't interrupted probably meant he liked it. That or he had no choice. He needed to stay open. He couldn't afford not to. Perhaps she saw that in his expression, for the teacher pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"One day," she said.

Yang and Ruby cheered.

"One day!" Glynda went on, "And no matter what Mr Arc's state, no more. You will also have detentions with me this weekend to catch up on the missed work, and I will _personally_ test you on it at the end. Should you score anything less than ninety per cent, I shall keep you in for consecutive weekends. Am I understood?"

Yang nodded. She didn't care. She was too happy, too relieved, too many things and all of them confusing. Either way, she had her permission, and with everyone else helping her as well, this was bound to be a cinch. "Thank you, Miss Goodwitch," she said. "I won't let you down."

"We won't," Ruby amended. "Ooh, this is going to be so cool!"

"We'll need uniforms," Weiss pointed out.

"Those will come out of your own expenses," Glynda said, "and I do mean _yours_. Mr Arc has trouble enough without being forced to clothe you."

"I can handle it," Weiss said easily, and she could with her finances. Four uniforms probably wouldn't make a dent on her weekly allowance, let alone her bank balance. "Thank you again, Miss Goodwitch. I'm sure this won't happen again."

"It won't," Yang promised. Her eyes traced over to Jaune's arm, and she swallowed once more. It wasn't just the knowledge of what she'd done – that had faded with his easy forgiveness. It was more the feeling and the memory, both of which haunted her still. Even if she hadn't meant it, she could still remember the exact moment it happened and what she felt.

She'd never experienced anything like it before. It was like taking a plastic doll and snapping it in two, except knowing that this was a real person – someone you genuinely liked, and who your little sister genuinely cared for. It was sickening. _I never realised how strong we are. One mistake and I could kill someone. Gods, why did I never think of that when I caused that scene at Junior's bar? I unloaded in the air to make the customers run, but what if they'd trampled one another to death in the doorway?_

She'd have been a murderer. Even if she didn't pull the trigger, people had a tendency to run wild when panicked. If a single person has fallen, the others would surely have crushed them. The thought made her shiver.

Jaune noticed. "Yang, it's fine," he whispered. "You didn't mean it."

"I didn't, but that doesn't really excuse me." She sighed and flipped some hair back. "I think I need to apologise to those two, as well."

"Miltia and Melanie?"

Yang grimaced, but managed a nod. "They're friends of yours, right?"

"They are…"

She closed her eyes. "You know what they are. Don't you?"

"I do…" Jaune swallowed loudly. "They're not bad people. Or, well, maybe they are, but not to me. They've helped me out a few times, and they're customers." He sighed. "It's complicated."

"Eh, you don't really have to explain yourself to me. They're your friends, not mine. Still, I messed up and you got hurt. Helping you out like this is the least I can do." Her smile faltered. "If that's okay, I mean. We didn't exactly give you much of a choice in the matter."

His smile washed away her doubt. "It's more than okay," he said. "I was worried what being closed tomorrow would mean. If you guys can help out, even if it's just with the heavy lifting and stuff, that would be amazing. I really appreciate it."

"Ugh, how can you make it sound like I'm the one doing you a favour when I put you in this spot in the first place?"

"I told you-"

"It's fine, I know." She smirked and made to flick his forehead, then thought better of it. "I still think you should be a little more pissed at me, but maybe this is part of your charm. I basically assaulted you."

"Well Ruby knocked me out the first time I met her."

"JAUNE!" Ruby cried, cheeks aflame. "You said you wouldn't tell them!"

"Ah, I forgot!"

Ruby groaned. "Jauuune!"

"Knocked you out?" A tiny laugh escaped her, and like a damn, that washed away the fear and guilt she'd felt. A quick glance at Ruby showed her sister under Weiss' suddenly demanding gaze, and she couldn't help but snort. "That's two for two on us injuring you. I wonder when Weiss and Blake will get a turn."

"Probably the next time I make a bad business decision for Weiss."

"Or if you go out of business." Yang grinned and drew out her scroll. "Anyway, give me your number in case you need us for anything. What time do we need to be at the diner tomorrow? Seven?"

"Five."

"Eh?"

"Five," Jaune replied, laughing awkwardly. "In the morning."

The scroll slipped from Yang's limp fingers. Deep inside, a part of her whimpered. Being in Vale for five meant waking up at four, maybe earlier if she wanted a long shower – and Weiss would definitely enforce them all looking their best. Did that mean three or three-thirty? Either way, sleep would be nothing but a distant dream.

Still, it was just manning a shop for the day, and there were four of them to do it. Jaune did it most days on his own.

It couldn't be too hard.

/-/

"And that's how the day went," Jaune finished, slumped over one of his tables as he nursed a cup of tea in one hand. His only hand, really. He thanked his lucky stars she'd dislocated the left, because he didn't fancy his chances with his off-hand.

"Sheesh, tough break," Roman commiserated, sat on the other side with his own mug in hand.

Neo was off by the display cabinets helping herself to ice-cream. He'd have normally done it for her, but she'd taken one look at him – zeroed in on his injury – and then practically forced him into a seat, and silently growled at him every time he made to stand. The one time he'd tried, she'd somehow managed to launch a knife from behind the counter and stick it into the table by his hand.

He hadn't tried again.

"I warned you, though. Huntsmen and civilians don't mix."

"I know," Jaune groaned. "I also just _knew_ you were going to rub that in. You couldn't resist an `I told you so` moment, could you?"

"Nope. So, what're you going to do now?"

"Well, I have Team RWBY helping out tomorrow."

"And you expect that to go well?"

Admittedly no, but it couldn't be worse than not opening at all. He hadn't been lying when he said he didn't blame Yang, but it wasn't the entire truth either. There had been an immediate spike of panic when he saw her, but that had been buried under so much guilt the second he saw her expression, that he'd suffocated it.

Fear was normal, especially after something hurt you. It was nothing but an automatic reaction, and there was no way in hell he was going to let that take over him – not when it came to dealing with someone he knew and liked. Even beyond being Ruby's sister, Yang was a good person. She had that older sister vibe he instantly recognised. He could tell she was the kind of girl to relentlessly tease Ruby on one hand, but come to her defence the moment anyone else tried the same.

She reminded him of his sisters, and if he'd seen any of them look so miserable, he'd have done everything he could to help them.

"I think they'll try their best," he said. "I'll be keeping an eye on them, so it'll be enough. I just need them to help with lifting and stuff. I'll still be here mixing the drinks."

"And what about afterwards?" Roman asked, poking Jaune's dislocated arm. He winced, but more on instinct. He was still hopped up on so many painkillers that he barely felt it. "Injuries like that take time to heal. Twelve to fourteen weeks, I think."

"The Doctor said ten to twelve."

Roman rolled his eyes, and Jaune flushed. The difference was negligible, and didn't really answer his point anyway.

"I guess I'll have to get a new employee," he said. "I just need someone to work the mornings and help me get ready. I can clean up with one hand. A part-timer would do."

"Shouldn't be too hard," Roman said. "There are plenty of people looking for work."

"The problem is cost. I'm not sure I can afford it."

"Depends who you hire. You can get away with paying certain people less."

Jaune grimaced. "You mean faunus?"

"Nah, not that. I could tell from looking at you, you're not the type to try exploiting that. I was thinking more underage part-time. Being a waiter or waitress is like every kid's first job. Well, other than a news round."

"That's true…" Back home, some of his sisters had worked in restaurants. Sure, it didn't pay well, but the work was fairly simple and it was kind of meant to be an introduction to working life. In fact, most of the restaurants and diners in Ansel hired either family members or teenagers. You could pay them less, too.

"If you decide to recruit, might want to do it around the schools in the area," Roman suggested. "Kids like that don't have the time for full-time work, but love a little bit of part-time on the side, especially if they need it for partying or stuff."

"I'll see how it goes with Team RWBY first," he said. Despite his caution, the idea had already started to take root, however. Team RWBY were only covering for the single day, but if he could get someone to help him with the heavy work in the morning, they could get back to whatever school they had later. He only needed two, maybe three hours. Less if he handled the lighter stuff. If someone worked five through seven, they could probably get back to in time for school. And then there were weekends, where he could give extra hours and maybe have a break or two of his own. Jaune laughed and downed his tea. "You've put the idea in my head now. Thanks."

"Roman Torchwick, always here to serve." He polished off his own coffee and popped a slice of cake in his mouth. He spoke around it, gesturing with one hand. "You're – hm – doing pretty well here." He swallowed. "For where you are, I mean. I know you're not sure how much you'll have made until the end, but I can't see you going out of business. Most waiters and waitresses make their money off tips anyway, so you wouldn't be losing that."

"Alright, alright, I get it." Jaune chuckled. "I'll put some fliers out. You sure you're not trying to lump a certain someone on me?"

The two of them turned to look at Neo, who had just pressed a button on an espresso machine. It spat and hissed wildly, and Neo leapt back, drawing a long, thin sword and holding it at the ready. When the machine failed to grow legs, arms, and sentience to try and kill her, she sheathed it awkwardly and glared at them.

They wisely pretended to have seen nothing.

"Even I wouldn't be that cruel," Roman said. "No, she's with me, heavens help me. I'm just worried the only place I can get a proper cup of coffee will go bust on me. Can't have that."

"There are probably over three hundred different restaurants, diners and cafes in Vale," Jaune said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm sure mine isn't the best coffee out of all of that."

"You'd be surprised. Besides, I'm here for the customer service."

"That doesn't even make any sense." Jaune sighed and gave up, especially when Roman started to laugh himself silly. The guy was pretty weird like that, but it felt nice to have someone to wind down with at the end of the day.

Funnily enough, Roman and Neo always looked like they were just waking up.

What kind of removals business operated at night?

* * *

 **The best kind of removals business, naturally. So, I'm happy last chapter received so much positive feedback, even if it was quite the tonal shift. Like I said before, this is going to be episodic in nature, covering one issue and then moving onto another. Some may seem more serious than others, while some might be more comedic in nature.**

 **On Yang's `ability` to dislocate his shoulder – which some questioned – I would point out that just about anyone could dislocate someone's shoulder by swinging them around by the arm and then not letting go. So long as the one doing it has a strong grip and makes the shock sudden enough, it's a dislocation. It's more the sudden "halt" in motion that causes it.**

 **Yang, being as strong as she is, definitely wouldn't be budged. I imagine her grip would be like a vice. Meanwhile, Jaune isn't exactly the buffest of people (cough, noodle, cough). Even Weiss calls him scraggly the first time they met.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 17** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, here's a long-ass chapter. The delay in timing is due to the chapter length, but also some unfortunate traffic on the way back from work. The usual poo.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

* * *

Team RWBY, as it turned out, were not morning people. He could tell that the moment he opened the door to find the four slouched outside, Yang and Weiss being the worst, but Ruby and Blake not too far behind. To see four normally beautiful and immaculate girls looking like such a mess could have been cute. Would have been if not for the ferocious glare Weiss gave him. "Coffee," she hissed.

"What kind?" he asked reasonably.

"Coffee!"

"Coffee," Blake agreed, nodding.

He had a feeling he wasn't winning that argument. Deciding it was better to bite the bullet than cause a scene so early in the morning, he unlocked the doors and ushered the four inside, closing it after them. The diner was dark but for the dim illumination from the display units. The sun had yet to even poke its face above the nearby buildings.

Once the girls had gotten some coffee into them and had a chance to wake up, they became a little more cognisant of the situation. "I can't believe I'm up this early," Yang complained. "Why would anyone willingly do this to themselves?"

"Hngh…" Ruby agreed – or maybe she didn't. It was hard to tell.

Jaune looked nervously down at their outfits, which were not only what they normally wore, but which would be more than a little out of place for working all day. Weiss noticed his gaze, and after a brief moment where it looked like she might snap at him, realised what it was about. "I have uniforms for us," she said, indicating a folded case nearby. "Is there somewhere we can change?"

"You can use my apartment upstairs, but you might want to stay in your usual outfits until we're done with the lifting." He nodded to several crates nearby, some of which he'd dragged in one-handed on trolleys, and more of which had been delivered. His suppliers, mostly local businesses, had been unexpectedly sympathetic of his injury, and several had asked others to help deliver or carry them for him. He'd offered to pay more but they wouldn't hear of it. Business looked after business, or so they said.

In the end, if he did well, he'd keep buying supplies from them, so it was in their best interests to help him when he was in trouble. Even generosity was given with a self-serving reason.

"The machines need stocking up, and cakes need putting into the display cabinets. We'll then carry any extras into the back for later, and if we ever run short of something someone will need to come and grab them to refill." The girls looked a little confused, so he took the time to give them a quick tour behind the counter – pointing out various things they'd need to know. "When it comes to prices, you can just type in the price and click the add key here, and when it's done, click the pay key here. It will ask what they're paying with, so you put it in, and then it calculates what change you need to give, if any. Make sure to tear off a receipt for them as well."

Ruby nodded. "O-Okay…"

"Don't worry; it's a lot easier than it looks. I mean _I_ can use it, so it has to be."

"What about the coffee machines?" Weiss asked, staring at one and the myriad buttons on it.

"I'll explain the different blends for that before we open. Just so you know, I'll still be here all day, so if you get confused you can ask me for help. I just can't do any heavy lifting." He nodded to his cast. "It's not like I'll be abandoning you on your own."

That seemed to give them a little more confidence, and they quickly moved to start lifting boxes around the diner as he gently directed them. There was water for the machines, which Yang was able to handle – cakes for the displays which Ruby saw to eagerly, not to mention the cutlery and crockery and various other knickknacks, which Blake and Weiss arranged with almost fastidious care. They did a better job than him, honestly, but that was probably because it had become routine for him by now. You tended to learn and take shortcuts as you went on.

Once everything was done, he had them sweep the floor one last time to make sure it was clean, and then arrange the chairs before the tables.

"I usually take a break for breakfast now," he said, smiling at the work that had been done. It was a lot faster than he normally did it, which made sense given there were four of them. "Did you guys bring anything to eat?"

"We have some lunchboxes," Ruby said. "Miss Goodwitch had the cafeteria make them for us."

That was probably to make sure they didn't have any excuses to back out on work or complain of hunger. At least it meant he wouldn't need to worry about them raiding his cakes. "I suppose you can eat those and get changed upstairs." He fished out a key and tossed it to Blake, who caught it easily. "I'll stay down here and do a stock check. If you need to leave your clothes anywhere, you can put them on my couch. I won't be going back up until after you leave, so whatever you leave there will stay where it is."

"Make sure to come back down within forty minutes," he called as they ascended the staircase hidden in a back corridor. "There's a busy day ahead."

/-/

Weiss should have known better than to trust Ruby and Yang in someone's apartment, although Jaune should probably have known better, too. The moment the door was unlocked, the two were looking around the small place with hungry eyes, taking in every little detail they could. While Blake and she walked to the couch and started to unfold their new clothes, Yang was peeking into a separate room with a guilty expression.

"Do you two _have_ to act so creepy?" Weiss asked.

"Don't tell me you're not curious, Weiss-cream. How many chances do you get to look around a guy's apartment? Do you think he has a hidden porn stash somewhere?"

"You don't have time to look for it if he does, and no, I'm not curious at all." The latter was only a half-truth at best. Even as she stripped down in Jaune's living room – and didn't that feel all kinds of strange to think – her eyes roamed about, cataloguing little things wherever she could. Things like how the coffee table and wooden floor was immaculately clean… the kind of cleanliness you could only get from lack of use. The TV especially didn't look like it had ever been turned on, not if the remote resting atop it was any indication, and the thin film of dust that clung to the screen.

The apartment was small, and not only by her standards. It had a living room, a kitchenette separated by a counter, and what looked to be three other doors – probably a bedroom, bathroom and some kind of storage cupboard.

"For someone not interested, you're sure looking just that," Yang teased.

Weiss threw Yang's uniform at her. "Shut up and get changed. Lest you forget, we're here t help _you_ with this."

"Yeah, I know." Yang pulled the uniform down and sighed, and Weiss immediately felt bad for dragging up the memory.

"Yang, I'm so-"

"It's fine." The blonde shrugged and smiled, unbuckling her belt. "You're right. Let's get on with this."

It didn't take them long to get changed, and the uniforms fit as well as expected. Weiss had purchased them from the best, of course. She just wished the shop hadn't quite been so liberal with the expanses of skin.

"What the hell, Weiss. Did you buy these from a sex shop?"

"No!" she denied, bright red in the face. "Don't be ridiculous. These are normal maid outfits." Weiss tugged down at the skirt of hers regardless, wishing it was just a little longer. In truth, it was no shorter than what she wore normally and actually reached her knees, but a combat skirt felt different somehow. The material she wore now was a mixture of black and white, with the occasional frill and bow for ornamental purposes. There was near the collar, leaving their shoulders bare.

She didn't think it had looked like that when she'd checked the catalogue, but to be fair they'd been in a rush and there hadn't been much time to think about it.

"There are leggings if you want them," she said, nodding to the other box. Ruby had already taken out a black pair of tights and pulled them on. Weiss took a white set in contrast, though Blake and Yang seemed content to go bare-legged.

"I swear to God, Weiss," Yang warned. "If I end up on some kind of website…"

"You won't, and besides, this is normal maid ware for Vale. I bought them from a company that supplies to some of the biggest restaurants and cafés in the city." The quality was reflected in the material and fit, which despite its rather revealing nature was still comfortable and warm. They hadn't been cheap.

"I suppose this is the appeal for the customers," Blake said, sighing. "It's not like we can back out now. We dug our bed."

"Yang did," Weiss prodded.

"It was you who got the uniforms!"

Blake interposed herself between the two before the argument could get any worse. "How about we don't start a fight in someone else's apartment," she said. "Not unless we want to be working here for even longer to pay off the damage."

"Good point." Yang sighed and stepped back.

"I'm not even sure why you're complaining," Weiss added. "The skirts are longer than our school uniform and you wear spandex shorts normally. This is practically conservative for you."

"Yeah, but this is a maid outfit." Yang's face twisted unpleasantly. "Argh, whatever. It's all to make more tips, right? I'm fine so long as it's to pay off my mistake. Not like I have to keep wearing this in the future. What do you think, Rubes?"

"I like it," Ruby giggled, twirling in place.

Yang rolled her eyes. "You would. Okay, fine, whatever. You guys ready to kick ass?"

"Do you think we will?" Blake asked. "I've never worked in a place like this before."

"How hard can it be? People tell you what they want and you deliver it to them."

"It doesn't _sound_ hard," Ruby said. "Maybe it's just hard for Jaune because there's only one of him. It'll be easy with all four of us."

Weiss couldn't help but agree, even if she'd never worked a day in her life. She knew the theories of customer service, and was more than practised in keeping a pleasant smile on her face when she wanted nothing more than to strangle whatever sycophant was trying to mooch up to her. Compared to that, working for Jaune would be an absolute cinch.

/-/

"This cappuccino is cold."

It was not what Weiss wanted to hear, and was probably the last thing anyone with a shred of self-preservation should have said to her in the first place. She looked up into the woman's face, her eyes quickly latching onto the customer's sneer.

"I do apologise. I'll bring you another." Weiss gritted out, her hand shaking as she took the mug and stormed over to the machine. It took all her effort not to throw it back in the woman's face, and the steam from the machine hardly helped, only adding to the sweat that beaded across her face. Two hours. That was all it had been. Two measly hours – and already her legs were killing her and she wanted to take it out on the customers.

 _And the cappuccino comes out boiling hot, you idiot. The only way it could be cold was if you left it too long before you started to drink it!_ Of course, she couldn't say that. The customer was always right, and the cost of making another wouldn't justify the loss of a customer, not to Jaune anyway. She jarred the mug a little less gently against the nozzle – her only way of truly displaying her frustration – and brought it back to the customer.

She lifted it to her lips and sipped a little. "Better," she said, walking away. Weiss imagined what she might look like with Myrtenaster sticking from her back. It was a strangely cathartic feeling.

"H-Hey Weiss," Yang panted, slumping over the counter as she fought for breath. "Do you have the order for table six?"

"On the side," Weiss replied, nodding to the tray. Yang seemed disappointed it was already up, probably because she'd wanted an excuse to rest her legs. She took it nonetheless, muttering a quick thank you as she rushed back out to deliver it. En route, at least two other tables tried to distract her with fresh orders, causing Yang to panic and almost drop her drinks.

Weiss let out a long sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. She felt hot, sticky and claustrophobic, mostly because she'd been behind the counter since this all started. When Jaune had taken to teaching them how to make the various drinks, it was only her who'd proven capable of keeping up with the complicated instructions. Seriously, they were ridiculous. While she may have had enjoyed a good cup, she'd never had to actually _make_ one before. That was what butlers and servants were for.

Eventually, they'd reached a compromise wherein Jaune had tacked a list of popular choices to the machine, and she could follow that while she was making them. It wasn't perfect, but considering they'd had less than an hour to prepare, she doubted it ever could have been. It was workable, and that was what mattered. Either way, with her being the designated coffee maker, it had seemed obvious she would work behind the counter, while the others waited on customers. In truth, Weiss had thought she'd gotten the better deal out of it all.

How wrong she was.

The customer was always right? No, the customer was a bumbling _idiot_ at the best of times and usually worse! The customer was whiny, self-entitled and seemed to believe _they_ were doing _her_ a favour by ordering from her in the first place. She'd started off as best she could – smiling in a way she _knew_ would put people at ease – but those smiles had soon frosted over. All that was left was something out of a horror movie, along with the desire to scream at the top of her lungs. She was Weiss Schnee – _Weiss Schnee_. Her coffee was not cold, overly hot, or lacking taste. She was following the recipes to the absolute letter!

Everything about them annoyed her. She got annoyed when they came up with complicated orders, making her already brand new job far harder than it needed to be. She got annoyed when they came up, listed things off too fast, and then sighed dramatically when she asked them to repeat it. She got annoyed when they asked for the usual – despite full well _knowing_ they hadn't ever seen her before.

But nothing – _nothing_ – annoyed her like this.

"Hello and welcome to Jaune's," Weiss greeted, forcing a smile onto her face once more. She had her notepad before her, pen ready. "What can I help you with today?"

The elderly aged man brought a hand to his chin. "Hmm…"

Weiss waited.

"Hmm…"

The pen dug a little deeper.

He turned to his wife, who looked equally ancient. "What do you think, dearie?"

"I don't know," the elderly woman replied. "I'll need to get my glasses out to read the menu."

Weiss could have snapped right then and there. She could see the headlines now. Prominent heiress massacres café full of innocent people – indecisive customers to blame. It was just too much. It was _unbelievably_ annoying. Why would you even come to the counter if you didn't know what you wanted? Why would you not be _wearing_ your glasses if you needed them? How could you possibly reach the age of eighty-something and not know what your preferred drink was!?

Her eyebrow continued to twitch as the elderly couple discussed their options with an incredible lack of haste. Behind them, a queue had already begun to form. The people in it didn't look exactly pleased, and had decided to glare at her for it. She'd had a feeling they'd somehow find a reason to blame her.

The customer was an idiot.

/-/

Ruby struggled to keep the stacked cups and plates on her tray, an act that wouldn't have normally been all that difficult were it not for someone backing their seat up as they made to leave, catching the back of her legs. She yelped as she tripped, and would have fallen if not for Blake quickly appearing out of nowhere and righting her.

"Thanks," Ruby gasped. "I thought I was a goner."

"It wouldn't be a problem if people didn't keep getting in the way…" Blake said, a little too loudly and a little too obvious to be anything but intentional. She glared at someone nearby, but Ruby quickly grabbed her attention.

"K-Keep smiling," she whispered, recalling Jaune's previous advice. "We're doing this to help him, remember? You need to smile."

Blake sighed, but forced a wide smile onto her face regardless – as was their job. It honestly looked a little creepy, but maybe that was only because she knew Blake personally, and thus recognised the toothy smile to be about as genuine as Port's stories.

It wasn't so bad herself, since she was normally a happy kind of person, but even she was finding it hard to keep it up for several hours in a row. She wanted to sit down. No, she wanted to frown – that was what she really wanted. A chance to frown, growl, and basically work her facial muscles which were right now locked in some kind of goofy rictus.

"Excuse me," someone called.

Ruby rushed over. "Yes, how can I help?"

"Can we get another round of drinks?"

"Sure." She quickly put down the tray balancing it on the edge of the table, and making sure to keep it there with her hip. She dragged a notepad out of her apron pocket and opened it. "What would you like?"

"Just what we had the last time, dear."

"Aaand what was that…?"

The Huntsmen, for he must have been with an outfit as bright as his, rolled his eyes and looked to his companion as if asking for patience. Ruby wanted to pout and point out she wasn't psychic, but knew better. Just keep smiling – that was what Jaune had said, and he was smiling even now, talking to some customers as he directed Weiss in making some particularly complicated drink.

"Mine was a coffee, Mistral blend with two sweeteners – not sugar – and some milk. My companion would like a latte, but please don't make it too hot." He looked to his maybe girlfriend and asked, "Do you want to get a cake between us?"

"That's not a bad idea," the girl replied. She looked to Ruby and smiled. "What would you suggest?"

"Me?" Ruby asked, suddenly on the back foot. It was bad enough her social anxiety still had her stammering every now and then, but now to be asked for cake advice? Well, it wasn't the worst thing. At least she knew about them. "I'd suggest the chocolate cake with cream."

"I don't like chocolate, I'm afraid." The girl said.

"Oh, okay." Ruby laughed awkwardly. "Then how about the carrot cake?"

"I'm not really a fan," the man answered.

 _T-Then why are you asking me for my advice!?_ Ruby let out a low keen, aware of other customers also trying to catch her attention. "M-Maybe a platter?"

"How about a vanilla slice?" the girl asked, ignoring Ruby altogether.

"Perfect." The man leaned across and cupped her chin. "I knew there was a reason I loved you."

The notepad in her hands was almost snapped in half as Ruby tried to look anywhere but at what was maybe taking place in front of her. "I-I'll be right back with your orders," she yelped when they started to lean closer to one another. It was only once she was away that she let out a relieved sigh.

 _Ugh… why is this so hard?_

"Hello, waitress?"

"Coming!" she said, rushing over.

"Ruby," Weiss called. "There's an order to be delivered."

"C-Coming," Ruby repeated, crying a little inside.

There was only one of her!

/-/

Yang was a little more focused than her teammates, mostly because she'd had some part-time jobs in the past. Patch was nowhere near as busy as Vale, however, and when the lunch rush hit, it hit like a freight train. People didn't so much as stream in as they were _vomited_ off the busy streets.

"I'll be right there, sir," Yang called, sliding through a gap that felt too thin for her. "Excuse me. Sorry. I'll – ah!" She glared in the direction of the hand she'd felt touch her rear, but no one was there, or at least no one was turned in her direction. She had a feeling, though. There was a table of four guys – about her age, or maybe a year or two younger. They'd come in an hour ago and proceeded to slowly mull their way through their coffees for an impressive sixty minutes or more. For the most part, they contented themselves staring at her, Blake and even Ruby and Weiss whenever they walked by.

Jaune had told them they mostly got Huntsman and Huntresses into the diner, and that had been true for the most part, but it sounded like news of their working here had gotten out, and they'd started to attract a different kind of clientele – hormonal boys. Huntresses were always fighting fit, for obvious reasons, and that tended to reflect on their looks and figure. To the average guy, they might as well have been super models.

Looking was fine – but touching? No way. Still, with no proof to her name, Yang was forced to grit her teeth and move on. "Here you go," she said, placing the tray down and quickly unloading two mugs before the respective people.

"Thank you, missy," the gruff man replied.

"No problem. Enjoy your drinks." She rushed on to the next, checking her notepad to figure out what went where. The doorbell rang again and another three businessmen came in, deep in conversation. Even with the place mostly being Huntsmen, the lunch rush was still the lunch rush, and everyone suddenly on their breaks and needing coffee couldn't afford to be picky. "If you'd like to find a table-"

She went ignored, the three walking by.

"Or ignore me. That's fine." The rude ones annoyed her more than anything, but she wasn't being paid to get annoyed (or being paid at all). Instead, she smiled and moved on, swallowing her exhaustion as she tried to keep up with ever-increasing numbers.

Even Jaune had been forced to step in, taking over from Blake at the till so that she could go out and support Ruby and Yang on the floor. It was only the fact it wasn't too dangerous taking money that let them accept him working at all, though an exhausted part of her said she'd have maybe stayed quiet either way.

How did he ever manage all of this on his own? It just didn't seem humanly possible. They were Huntresses – at least two, if not three times fitter than a civilian like him – yet it was they who were fighting back exhaustion. It was her who kept hiding yawns in her sleeve, or wanted nothing more than to sit down because her legs were turning to jelly. Jaune had promised them they could take a quick break after the rush, not all at once obviously, but thirty minutes each, taken one after the other.

She couldn't wait, even if an annoying part of her mind pointed out that he never seemed to take any breaks when they were here. _That's not the same. We're no way near as annoying as some of these people are._

At least she hoped they weren't.

A sudden crash behind startled the entire café into complete silence, followed by a low hum of whispers and the scraping of chairs as people backed away from what had to have been a dropped tray. Yang's heart sank as she turned, but to her surprise it wasn't her sister at all. It was Blake. She was on her knees above a pile of broken white porcelain.

"Are you okay?" Yang asked worriedly. "I'll get a pan and brush. Wait there."

Jaune had one already prepared when she reached the counter, and she rushed back to help her partner.

"What happened?" she asked. "Did you trip?"

Blake shook her head minutely, taking the apparatus from her and quickly sweeping up as much as she could. Yang helped with some paper towels, drying the spillage as best she could. "I didn't trip," Blake whispered. "I… someone pinched me."

Yang's eyes flashed dangerously. "That table of teenagers?"

"I think so…" Blake sighed and poured the shattered ware into a bucket. "It wasn't too bad, just on the back of my hip, but I wasn't expecting it and I flinched. I caught the tray but lost a mug and saucer." Blake seemed more annoyed at that than anything else. "Look at me, a huntress unable to even catch a mug."

"I think it's about time I showed those idiots who they're messing with," Yang growled, about to rise. Blake's hand caught her wrist before she could.

"Don't."

"What? Why not? They totally deserve it."

"Whether they do or don't doesn't matter. It will just cause more trouble." Blake's eyes flicked in Jaune's direction, and Yang's fury fizzled in the air.

Blake was right. Damn it. As much as she wanted to go over and kick them out of the shop, it would startle everyone else, maybe making people leave. If that happened, they'd earn less money and Jaune would be even further out of pocket. It could be worse too, since if those idiots tried to fight back it might start a panic that had people leave without paying, or even damage things on the way out.

Even assuming none of that, there was a fair chance the assholes would come back after closing and smash the windows as payback for her humiliating them. There were literally no good options. Or at least no good options that both satisfied her temper _and_ didn't screw Jaune over.

"Just leave them be," Blake suggested, standing once she'd collected the last of the shards. "They can't stay forever and once they're gone we can forget they ever existed. Just don't let Ruby take any of their orders." Yang nodded and followed Blake to the counter.

"What happened?" Jaune asked.

Yang watched Blake warily, wondering if she would tell the truth. From his angle behind the till, he'd almost surely failed to catch it, and if she knew anything about him, he'd be righteously angry if he found out. Seeing him storm over and yell at those idiots would make her feel better, but it might get him into trouble. Sometimes, the satisfying choice wasn't always the best one.

"I tripped," Blake lied. "I'm sorry for breaking this."

"Don't worry about it. The crockery isn't expensive at all. I have fifty or more to spare. You weren't hurt, were you?"

She shook her head, and took another tray that Weiss provided. Yang waited for one of her own and followed after. To her surprise, the boys had departed. She looked around for them and caught them leaving the café. More importantly, she saw them being guided out by a man in a black suit. He turned at the last, and Yang caught a flash of crimson glasses and an annoyed frown, before the door closed and the teens were pushed away.

 _That was the uniform from the goons at Junior's club. Did they notice the disturbance and get rid of those guys?_ She wasn't sure, and didn't even know if Jaune had noticed in the first place. The man with the glasses gave her a quick nod through the glass window, however. Jaune had friends in high places, it seemed. She wasn't sure if she should feel worried about that or not. At least it meant someone was looking out for him.

A hand rose into the air. "Excuse me, miss?"

And there went her little chance to daydream. Yang plastered a wide smile on her face and tried to keep her teeth from grating together.

Did it ever stop?

/-/

"It's not adding up."

"What isn't?" Yang looked over Weiss' shoulder as the smaller girl poured over the till and a little ledger beside it. The lunch rush had ended and the café was now all but empty, just a table or two in use, which gave them a much-needed chance to rest. "Did we undercharge someone?"

"No, not that. Everything is in order with the till." She sighed and placed the booklet down, pointing to what seemed to be several columns. "This is Jaune's records of his earnings day by day. The diner has earned less this morning than it ever has since it opened."

"What?" Ruby asked weakly. "How? We were so busy."

"And he must have been just as busy each day before, but we're still making less." Weiss growled and placed both hands on the counter, glaring at the booklet as though trying to threaten it into revealing its secrets. "The numbers don't lie. Despite our work, we've brought in less than Jaune would on any other day – even with the four of us combined."

Yang's heart sank. The news was a blow to their collective pride; with even Blake letting out a defeated sigh and cursing under her breath. They'd worked so hard, more than Yang felt she ever had before, and to hear it still wasn't good enough?

That hurt. It really did.

"Don't let it get you down," Jaune said, having overheard. "You girls have helped me out so much. Remember, I wouldn't even be open today if it wasn't for you. Any money is better than none."

While that was true, the whole thing wouldn't even be an issue in the first place if it wasn't for her. Yang groaned and planted her face down into crossed arms, forehead pressed against the cool counter. "I don't understand. We're doing everything properly – and we're hot."

"Smooth," Weiss drawled.

"It's no word of a lie, not when we're dressed like this. We're bringing in custom if just for the eye-candy, but we're _still_ not doing as good a job as you would on your own? That's ridiculous. I refuse to believe it."

"The numbers-" Weiss began.

"I don't believe in numbers!"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Moping over it isn't going to fix anything."

"No, but I'm feeling mopey and there aren't any customers. Give me my thirty seconds of sulk."

No one argued with her. They all felt the same, frustrated at their apparent inability to match the efforts of one person. It was like a personal insult, except there was no one to get angry at but themselves. It made them feel deficient, lacking… worthless. It wasn't even like they could blame Jaune for simply being better at his own job, either. They were simply worse.

"We're doing something wrong, aren't we?" Ruby asked.

"I don't think so. You girls have been amazing."

"Jaune…" Ruby's voice was uncharacteristically serious, enough so to silence his protests. "We're trying to help, but if we're doing something wrong then we're not helping. We want to make this work. Right?"

"That's what I'm here for," Yang agreed.

"I _hate_ doing things poorly," Weiss growled.

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't willing," Blake finished.

Ruby smiled and looked back to their temporary employer, crossing her arms and standing tall – well, short – before him. "See? We want to do our best, so if there's something we're not doing right, we need to know."

Jaune looked panicked. "But…"

"No buts," Weiss said, interrupting him and stepping up alongside her partner. "You said when we started that if we had any problems, you would have advice for us. We're asking for that now. We are not a team used to failure." Weiss paused to look at them all, and Yang nodded her agreement. She was competitive to a fault, and this sucked. "Tell us where we're going wrong. Don't hold back because you want to be polite or not hurt our feelings."

"Because feeling like we're letting you down is already doing that," Ruby finished.

Jaune looked at them with an agonised expression, but Yang held his gaze, trying to push across just how much she agreed. This sucked. It absolutely sucked. Eventually, he surrendered. "Passion," he said. "I guess you all lack passion."

"Huh? But we're trying our hardest to be friendly and smile," Ruby protested.

"Even when it hurts," Blake added, grimacing.

"It's not all about smiling, or not just that anyway." Jaune sighed. "Look, it's not like I expect you all to be passionate about this. It's work, and more than that you're working to try and help me out, not because you need the money or want the job. That you're all trying so hard is already enough. I can't ask you to be passionate about what is basically a chore." He waved his good hand and laughed it all off. "Like I said, you're doing great so far. Any lien is better than none, so don't worry about it. I'll go grab some more change for the till an-"

Weiss headed him off before he could retreat into the back room. She stood before the door, arms crossed.

"Good job, Weiss!" Ruby yelled, darting over to his left. Yang smirked and took his right, and when Jaune tried to back up, he bumped into Blake's raised eyebrow.

"Y-You guys. What's wrong?"

"Us, apparently," Blake said. "I don't think you get to leave without at least explaining what you mean."

"He doesn't," Weiss agreed. "Words, Jaune. Now."

"You're all getting worked up ove-"

"Now!"

"Okay, okay, fine." He winced. "Passion is… I guess it's more than just good customer service. No matter how much you smile, laugh or try to be nice, I, and probably the customers, can tell that you don't want to be here. It shows in the little things you do. Take Blake for instance," he looked to the black-haired girl, who stepped back, unprepared for the sudden attention. "I know you're trying to smile, but you do it at the last second when you think it's needed. If someone sees you snarling at the wall and then suddenly smiling a second later, I think they'll know it's fake."

Blake's cheeks darkened and she coughed into her hand. "I didn't think anyone noticed…"

"You're in a diner normally filled with people. There are way too many people not to notice. Weiss is the same, too. You smile at the right points and are polite, but the way you make coffee when annoyed shows. It doesn't affect the taste, but it's the way you hold yourself, the way you move, or even how loudly you settle the cup back down. If you settle it at all…"

Weiss' shoulders sagged a little, and she couldn't quite meet his gaze.

"I know the customers can be annoying, Weiss. I'm not blaming you. I'm not blaming any of you. Like I said, I couldn't ask for better people working for me. How can I expect you to be as passionate as I am? It's not your business. Your livelihood isn't on the line, and you don't get the same sense of pride I do when things go well. I bet you're all much more excited and passionate about being Huntresses."

"Ruby certainly is with her weapons," Blake quipped, trying to recover some of her good mood.

"We all are," Weiss said. "It's what makes us as good as we are."

"That's my point. You girls are passionate about the things _you_ love. That's normal. The reason I earn more is because I'm passionate about this… more than I thought I'd ever be. You're all trying to be something you're not, and people can tell." He reached past Weiss and tapped the book. "The extra bits you're missing? That isn't from there being more customers. It's gratuity."

"Tips," Ruby whispered. She reached into her apron and brought out some lien. It wasn't much, maybe fifteen or so. Yang's tips weren't much better, and judging from Weiss and Blake's expressions, neither was theirs.

"I get a lot more," Jaune said, nodding.

Yang had no response.

"Like I said, stop worrying." Jaune pushed past Weiss and paused with his good arm on the doorjamb. "The only ones blaming you girls are yourselves. I'm on track to make a profit today, so who cares if it's not as high as usual? You probably wouldn't expect me to hold my own if you took me out against Grimm, and I don't expect you to be as good as me at what is basically my job." He ducked away a second later, shaking his head as he laughed to himself. He left four girls in complete silence.

It was Blake who broke it. "Maybe he has a point," she said. "I guess it was arrogant to think we'd be better at this job than someone used to it."

"Is it?" Weiss asked. "There are four of us, even if we're inexperienced."

"I want to do better, but how can we fake passion?" Ruby asked.

"You can't," Yang answered. "At least, I don't think you can." She sighed and ran a hand down her face. "Like he said, no matter how hard we try, we don't actually care about this place – at least not as much as he does. We'll work ourselves to the bone to help him out because he's a friend, but we get our satisfaction from knowing we helped."

Weiss sighed. "And he gets it every time a customer is happy. I suppose that's why this place is so popular. Maybe that's why we come here."

"Jaune's good at what he does," Ruby agreed, smiling at the praise for her friend. It fell away a second later, however. "And we're not."

"We're not right now," Yang corrected. "Are we really willing to just let this stand? He might be all for saying it's fine for us to do worse, but I don't think I like the idea of us four losing out to a single over-worked civilian. Come on, we're supposed to be the best team in Beacon!"

"That's a big claim," Weiss warned. Her frown transformed into a small smile, however. "But no, I'm not willing to admit defeat. Weiss Schnee is not going to be beaten at money-making, and certainly not by some first-time café owner. My grandfather would roll over in his grave."

"I want to help him," Ruby agreed. "I want to do better."

"And I'll be dragged along for the ride as usual," Blake chuckled. "Very well, I'm game. What's the plan?"

"We can't fake passion, but I think we can do something better," Yang said. "We just need to be more natural, right? Instead of trying to be things we're not – let's try and take advantage of what we _do_ have, even if it's not normal waitress stuff."

Yang held both arms out beside her, raising an eyebrow when Weiss and Blake didn't seem to know what to do. It took Ruby joining her in the huddle for them to catch on, and soon the four of them were crouched together, whispering ideas back and forth.

Jaune might have been the better barista, but he was way off the mark if he thought they'd just roll over and accept defeat.

Not. A. Chance.

/-/

"Welcome to Jaune's," Blake greeted as a middle-aged huntsman entered. She held her hands cupped before her and tilted her head to the side, smiling enigmatically. "Would you like a table for one, or are you waiting for someone?"

He seemed caught off-guard by her appearance, or maybe just her demeanour. "O-Oh, just the one, please. I didn't realise Jaune had hired help."

"He had a little accident and hurt his arm," she explained, walking away and trusting the man to follow. He did. "We're helping him out for today so he doesn't hurt himself trying to handle everything."

"That's very kind of you." The man smiled as he accepted the menu, but placed it down without looking. "I'll have a coffee black with one sweeter, please, and an orange cake."

Blake nodded. "Coming right up, sir." She made her way to the counter, but instead of asking Weiss for help, slipped behind instead and fished out the cake on her own, cutting it gently into place. By the time Weiss had the coffee ready, having read it off a note she'd subtly slipped her, Blake was able to take both back and offer them to the man. "Here you go. The cake's a little warm, so please be careful."

"I will, thank you." The man seemed intrigued by her air, or perhaps just the fact she hadn't once tried to smile out of place, or act like some kind of air-headed waitress. His eyes dipped a little lower, funnily enough to her arms. "You look like a huntress yourself. Are you in training?"

She nodded, impressed that he'd been able to tell just from her corded muscle. "I am. I'm studying at Beacon with my team. That's them, by the way. We're here helping Jaune today."

"Nice to see the next generation keeping up our trends," the man said with a chuckle. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some change. "Here, and a little for yourself as well."

Her eyes widened, and the first smile she'd shown appeared. "Thank you."

"I think you've earned it. Run along, missy."

On her way back to the counter, Blake flashed Yang a victorious smirk.

Yang took it in stride, nodding back as she danced her way between two tables, bending over to slide a tray onto both at the same time in a display of acrobatics that looked a lot harder than it was for some like her. "Orders are served," she cheered, shooting the guy who'd ordered a saucy wink.

He laughed and blushed in return, scratching the back of his head. Beside him, his partner – or at least she assumed it was – seemed all too amused. "Don't get too excited, buster. You're dating my sister."

"D-Dude, what the hell!?" the first cried, humiliated. "Don't say things like that!"

"Forgive him," the second said, smirking at her. "He's a sucker for a pretty smile."

"Oh my, are you calling me pretty?" Yang fluttered her lashes and giggled flirtatiously. "I'll have to be careful. No touching, mister." She leaned over to tap a finger against his nose, and was rewarded by his partner bursting into laughter.

"Oh, this is too good. I liked this place before, but it's nice to see it getting livelier."

"Well, make sure to show our boss how much you like it and maybe he'll hire more like us."

"Oh, I'll be sure to."

The doorbell rang, and Ruby darted back in sporting an empty tray. She'd been selling sweets outside, both to make a little extra and to lure people inside for more. It looked like it had gone well. Yang reached the counter just as Weiss finished stacking the tray back up.

"Hey, Yang," Ruby grinned. "Things are going good!"

"Looks like it," she replied. Something caught her eye on Ruby's face and she chuckled and wet her thumb. "Hang on. You've got a little flour on your face."

Ruby squirmed and flushed as Yang wiped it clean. "Yaaang," she complained. "Not while I'm working…"

Yang grinned, and then grinned even more when she heard some of the nearby customers `aww` at the little display. That would be more tips, maybe. Like Jaune said, they weren't passionate about the job, but they were competitive, and if there was one thing Ruby was good at it was looking adorable.

That was why Weiss had sent her outside. Less chance of any clumsiness causing problems and she was so cute she was luring people to the diner like a magnet. The clientele was much more varied as a result, with a wide range of people from every profession. That had been the plan, really. They'd utterly failed at conforming to what seemed like Jaune's method of working, but they were their own people, so maybe it was doomed from the start.

If Blake couldn't fake a bubbly personality, then why try and make her? It would never work. Better to play on her as some kind of enigmatic and mysterious maid instead. The formal and beautiful type with a hidden personality and a secretive smirk. It seemed to be working well. Ruby had the cuteness down, hence being their bait, while she could flirt with the best of them, and Weiss had her own appeal.

The door opened, and Yang twirled about to face the newcomer.

"Welcome to Jaune's." She crossed her arms and gave the customer a challenging smile. "Hope you're prepared for the best coffee ever."

/-/

"And that's the last of it," Jaune said, closing the book with a bemused expression. The diner had closed for the night, two hours earlier than expected, but there had been a sign warning of that. They had to get back to Beacon at some point, after all. There were arrayed in the foyer, back in their casual outfits and nursing drinks of their own.

"Well?" Yang asked, "Did we make it?"

"See for yourself."

He pushed the ledger over the counter and they all leaned forward to inspect the final figure. Yang's heart beat a little faster as she did, but she was the first to let out a whoop when she saw it.

"We did it!" Ruby cheered, echoing Yang's excitement.

"You more than did it," Jaune said, still a little surprised. "You absolutely smashed what I normally make. I'm… I honestly don't know what to say. This is like a day and a half. I should break my arm more often."

"Dislocated," Yang countered, and was about to give him a light punch for that comment but thought better of it. "As for us, well, you know what it's like. We _are_ pretty awesome when we put our minds to it."

In the end they hadn't been able to fake passion – not real passion, but they'd come damn close and that effort had been rewarded by the generous people visiting. They'd played on what they knew, her with flirting, Ruby with looking cute, Blake with being mysterious and Weiss even breaking out in a little song to enchant their audience. What Jaune had in quality of service, they made up for in quantity. They'd made it work.

"You're all amazing," he said, earning a squeak from Ruby, and even a hint of colour from Yang herself.

"H-Hey, no need to go that far," she said. "We were just paying you back. Or I was. I did that damage to you, so picking up here was the least I could do. The others deserve more praise than me. They helped just because they could."

"I'll admit it was a new experience," Blake agreed. "I do feel a little pleased that we managed it in the end."

"The same for myself," Weiss said. "I have new appreciation for those in such careers. I'll have to make sure my future employees are enabled to exceed in such a manner as well."

"It was fun," Ruby simply said.

Jaune laughed and put the book away. "Then how about trying it again sometime?" he suggested. "I'd be happy to hire you all part-time."

Yang snorted. "Not a chance."

"No way," Ruby agreed.

"I'm fine, thanks," Blake deflected.

"I have a previous appointment," Weiss lied. "I'll be occupied for the next eighty years or so."

Jaune blinked. "Eh?"

"It was _fun_ ," Ruby explained, "but… well… how do I put this?"

"How the hell do you do this for a living?" Yang cried, throwing her arms in the air. "How do you do this and not kill yourself? Or kill someone else!?"

Ruby nodded and slammed a fist into her palm. "Ah yeah, that's a good way of saying it."

"I agree," Blake sighed. "I've never smiled so much in my life, and I had to fake giggles at some terrible conversation and jokes, even worse than Yang's. I feel like I've broken my face. I'm not going to smile for a month."

"My feet are _killing_ me," Weiss agreed. "I'm actually looking forward to detention with Miss Goodwitch because it will be a chance to sit down. I think I'm going to sleep in the bathroom tonight with my feet in the sink."

"And the customers," Yang growled. "Gods, I've never wanted to punch someone so bad before."

"They're so demanding," Ruby whined. "How do you put up with it?"

Jaune opened his mouth to try and explain, but Blake cut him off before he had a chance. "If one more person comments about how there was too much milk or not enough sugar, I'll snap. If it's that big of a deal, pour it yourself."

"Um…" Jaune tried. He went ignored.

"I'm actually sick of cakes too," Ruby said, with the kind of expression normally reserved for someone going through severe PTSD. "I… I actually looked at a cake a few minutes ago and felt ill. I don't want to so much as _smell_ a cup of coffee for a week!"

"Agreed," Yang, Blake and Weiss said in perfect unison.

Jaune chuckled nervously in the silence that followed. "So… I'm guessing my chances of hiring you are pretty slim?"

"Anorexic," Yang said with a little grin. "Sorry but not sorry."

Far from being offended, Jaune looked amused, and shook his head. "I guess I deserve that. It's not like this kind of work was easy for me at first, either. I just kept going because I kind of didn't have a choice. Thanks for all your help anyway – and I mean it. This means a lot."

"Happy to help," Weiss said. "But we're still never doing this again."

"I won't try and force you," Jaune said, laughing when he saw their wary expressions. He reached behind him instead, and brought out several sheets of paper he'd kept off to one side. "Could you do me a favour back in Beacon and put some of these up? I'm not sure if there are notice boards you're allowed to use, but it would help me out."

Yang took the posters and had a look at them. "Recruitment? You're hiring part-timers?"

"After seeing what you were capable of, yes."

"I feel nothing but pity for the unfortunate soul who applies." She held them under her arm nonetheless. "Yeah, sure, I'll pin them around. There are some boards in the common rooms. I'm sure someone will be interested."

"More fool them," Blake mumbled.

"Thanks," Jaune said, rolling his eyes at Blake. "I appreciate it."

The four of them slipped out of the diner, still half-leaning on one another for support. Their earlier doldrums were replaced with laughter, teasing, and good-natured ranting about the horrors of working in food service.

Yang paused to wave one final time to him, and felt a rush of relief when he waved back. She still regretted the damage she'd caused, but it didn't hurt quite so much. Maybe she'd come to accept it really was nothing more than an accident, or maybe it was just the way he never brought it up. Either way, she felt the weight on her shoulders lessen a little.

They'd done good work and passion or not… she felt satisfied with it.

/-/

Jaune leaned against the counter as the girls left, his eyes closed and a small, serene smile on his face. The day had been eye opening to say the least. They'd done about as well as he'd expected initially, plenty of effort but their hearts not quite in it. That they'd managed to turn it around in the afternoon had come as a surprise, but maybe it shouldn't have.

They were pretty incredible people, after all. He'd be lucky if he could find a part-time with even a fraction of their indomitable will. The strangest part was more the fact he didn't feel exhausted himself. It was the first time in what felt like forever since he hadn't handled everything, and his legs still had a strange tension to them, like they were waiting for agony but weren't quite sure why it hadn't occurred already.

"I guess a day to rest isn't so bad every now and then." He chuckled and hung up his apron, making his way over to the till to store the money safely away for the night. As he was collecting it, he reached over the ledger and quickly amended the figure by a couple of hundred lien. Downwards, of course. You couldn't fake passion, but they'd worked their hearts out, and genuinely earned twice as much in the afternoon as they had the morning.

For that, he was willing to fudge things a little.

The smiles on their faces had been worth it.

* * *

 **Gods, long chapter is long. Even looking back on this now, a part of me wonders if I should have tried to break it into two, but I really didn't want to. I wrote it longer as a result, and I hope it didn't come across as rushed in places. I wanted to keep it self-contained, and it just sort of felt like this would lose something if split over two weeks.**

 **No point to have the delay, I suppose, since they worked nonstop through their day.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 31** **st** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	7. Chapter 7

**For those who may not know, I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome now, which makes me writing harder due to a wrist brace. I'm just throwing out a warning in each of my fics at the moment – just to let people know why chapters might be a little late or shorter this week. It's mostly just while I get used to writing with it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

* * *

Closing on a Wednesday hadn't been an overly planned thing, more an admittance to the fact that he needed at least one day a week off, and that given how busy the weekends were, it would need to be sometime during the week. Monday had been his first idea, what with the exhaustion after the weekend, but it turned out a lot of people were miserable on Monday mornings and wanted (needed) their coffee fix, so he'd stayed open then as well. Friday had been the next idea – getting a day off before the weekend rush. Sadly, that had been thrown aside as well, since people wanted coffee to celebrate the last day of the working week with a good cup of coffee. On Thursday, people were lagging and needed coffee to get through to Friday, and so on and so on, until he'd only really had Tuesday and Wednesday left to pick from.

A bigger place would have stayed open all seven days, and he idly wondered if he should be looking towards that too. In the end, he decided against it. Maybe in the future (if there was a future) when he had more staff. It wouldn't be something that could be fixed in the short term though, since even if he took on two or three people to man the store, they'd be screwed if something happened and he wasn't around to fix it. Whoever was in charge on the day would need to know how to run the diner in and out, and that meant he'd need to have had them working for him for a couple of months at least. The dreams of a `seven days a week` diner were a little out of his reach right now, but that was fine. Things were going okay as they were.

And here he was, still thinking about work on his day off. "I'm such an idiot," he groaned out loud, sat at a table at someone _else's_ café, and doing his best _not_ to pick and judge at every little thing they did. They had nice chairs and tables. They had a seating area outside – good idea. Their waiters weren't bad, but one of them was less happy than the others and it kind of showed. Also, the menus were pretty boring to look at and-

No, no, no. It was his day off. No working, no planning, and definitely no spying on rival companies.

Switching off, he'd found, was hard. The whole week, he'd been looking forward to having a day to himself, but by the time it came around, he was lost on what to do. The first idea had been to sleep in, but his internal clock had woken him up at five, and then proceeded to _scream_ at him by six. Back home, he'd regularly slept late, and often had his sisters wake him up on the weekend. Here, however, his body seemed to have gotten used to rising early, and now felt like it was dying if he wasn't up before the sun. So, he'd given in – made breakfast, cleaned his apartment, turned on the TV, gotten bored of the TV, and then gone down to clean his diner again. Anything he could to make the time go by, really.

 _Come to think of it, that's pretty sad… when did I stop being fun?_ With a sigh and a groan, he put down the newspaper he totally wasn't reading and sipped his muck. Atlesian Black – the worst of the worst, and a reason why it would be the only drink he was having at the place, friendly staff or no. He'd thought to ring his family up and check on how they were doing, but it turned out his sisters were at work or school, and his father on a hunt. He'd spoken to his mother, who had sounded distracted and tired (since he'd called at seven in the morning). She'd wished him well and tried to muster some enthusiasm, but it was clear he'd caught her at a bad time and he'd promised to call again later when everyone was around. That would be sometime closer to six in the afternoon.

"Only ten more hours to go," Jaune sighed. "Great…"

He couldn't even spend some time with Ruby and her team since they were at school, and when he'd wandered off to see if Miltia and Melanie were up and around, he'd instead found an exhausted and sleepy goon at the entrance to the club. The man, quickly recognising him, had warned him that the twins had been up late partying, and that friend or not, he'd be in real trouble if he woke them up before at least three in the afternoon. Everyone had something to do, it seemed, everyone but him.

It was with those thoughts that he pushed off the seat, leaving behind enough lien for the bill and a small tip for his waiter, who had at least had the presence of mind to ask him how his day was and smile at an answer he probably didn't care about. He'd tried, and that was what counted.

Had he been paying more attention, he might have seen the disaster before it occurred. Sadly, he wasn't – and it was with a startled feminine cry that he looked to the side and realised he'd stepped directly into the path of two running women.

"Look out!" one of them yelled.

The warning was for the girl in front, not him, and she cursed as she realised how close they were. She was practically on top of him, and there was no time for him to dodge, but she somehow managed to slam a heel down at the last second and twist to the side. The girl behind her did the same, yelping and dodging at the same moment, pushing past him on his right as the first went by on the left. Both were off-balance from trying to avoid him, and both suffered predictable fates for their gracious actions.

Jaune winced as they crashed to the concrete, spilling out with arms and legs across the sidewalk, and instantly drawing the attention of anyone nearby. No one moved to help, of course. They just stared, snickered or walked on by with a `tut` and a roll of the eyes.

"Dodged him," the girl on his left groaned, pushing herself into a sitting position and pushing her sunglasses back up her nose. "At least I think I did. Hey," she looked him up and down. "You okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

Jaune blinked back at her. He cocked his head, and then turned in the other direction to look at the brown-haired, rabbit-eared girl laid face-down on the sidewalk and mumbling something into the granite. He looked back to the first, also on her back, also a little scuffed. He, by comparison, was fine.

"I feel like I should be the one asking you that…"

The girl with the glasses laughed and stood up. She brushed some hair back from before her face, then walked over to her friend and hoisted the faunus up with one hand. "Good eyes, Velvet. If you hadn't shouted out, we might have had to explain why we ran down some civilian."

"We shouldn't have been running anyway," the girl, Velvet apparently, complained. Her eyes widened and she spun around to face him. "Are you okay, sir? We didn't hurt you, did we?"

Jaune's eye twitched. "Again, I feel like I should be the one asking that. I'm fine. You two just… well…" He pointed to the pavement. "Thanks for not running into me, I guess, but are you sure you're okay?"

"Aw, don't worry about it," the first said, looking to clap him on the shoulder before she thought better of it. "A fall like that isn't much to a couple of huntresses like us."

"Huntresses?"

"In training," Velvet said.

"Vel, do you have to add that every time? It doesn't sound as cool."

"But Coco, we're not technically huntresses yet…"

Jaune watched the two bicker back and forth, one far more confident than the other, and yet still the conversation managed to work out. It was strange, since the Coco girl could have probably ended it in a second, but she looked to be coaxing her quieter friend out. It was kind of cute, really.

"Wait," he said, realising something. "Does that mean you're students of Beacon?"

Coco turned back and grinned, striking a pose with one hand on her hip. "That's right. The name's Coco Adel and this is my partner, Velvet Scarlatina. Nice to meet you…?"

"Jaune," he said, holding out a hand. The two shook it one after the other, though he noticed Coco's eyes light up. "My name's Jaune Arc. I was just surprised since I thought Beacon students had classes now. At least that's what some of my friends said. They're first-year students there."

"Ah, there you go," Coco said. "We're in the upper years, so our timetables are a little different. We get extra free-time in the mornings for training since we know better how to improve, while the first-years get combat training straight out the door."

Ah, so Ruby and her team would be in lessons now, but not everyone would. That made sense, he supposed, especially since he'd met some of the faculty of Beacon and there didn't seem to be that many of them. Beacon probably wasn't like a normal school with ten or more different lessons. There wasn't much need for the variety when killing Grimm was the main job. Free-time to encourage training was probably a necessity, not that the two of them were using their allotted time as such.

"What brings you to Vale, then?" he asked.

Coco raised an eyebrow. "You're a confident one, aren't you? Or is it just that you're nosey?"

It took him a second to realise what she meant, and when he did, his face flushed with colour. He was basically stood on a sidewalk talking to two older girls, one of which was drop-dead gorgeous, the other merely beautiful. Better still, he'd just stopped them in their path and started chatting – something that would have rooted him to the spot in any other situation.

"S-Sorry," he said, suddenly feeling far less sure of himself. "I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just bored an-"

"Bored?"

"W-Well, yeah." Jaune admitted with a little shrug. "This is my day off, but I've got no idea what to do, so I've just been sort of wandering aimlessly. I didn't mean to get in your way, or keep you if you're busy." And now he was rambling, too. Great. "I should go…"

Coco's hand caught his shoulder – his good shoulder – before he could.

"Bored, huh?" she repeated, her grin taking on a coy edge. "Well, if you've got nothing better to do, there's maybe something you could do to help us. How does that sound? Want to help two pretty girls with something?"

"Coco!" Velvet hissed, hiding a little behind her partner and trying to tug her arm away. "I'm sorry," she said to him. "She gets like this sometimes. You can ignore her."

Coco didn't let go of him. "What's the issue, Vel?" she asked. "We need a second opinion anyway, and he's a guy – bonus points there. Besides, it's not like I'm going to torture him. He can say no if he wants to."

"B-But it's embarrassing!"

"It really isn't," Coco said, shooting her partner a look that was somewhere between confused and pitying. "You know I love you, girl. I wouldn't put you through something like that. Besides, if you're that nervous about being noticed, this is a bad idea in the first place. You could consider this a test, something for you to get used to."

Velvet bit her lip. "I guess…"

Jaune was beginning to feel increasingly left out of the conversation, and he couldn't even leave since whether she realised it or not, Coco had a grip like a vice on him. He could feel the power in her hand, and it reminded him uncomfortably of Yang. Being older, Coco seemed to have more self-control, however, and while she had him held, she never once squeezed or applied too much force. Still, he wasn't sure what to think about Velvet's reaction. She seemed frightened of something. "I don't want to do anything that would upset anyone," he said. "It sounds like this is something really serious."

Coco rolled her eyes. "It really isn't. Just her anxiety playing up a little."

"It's not just that!" said girl yelped. "It would be awkward. He's a complete stranger."

"Who, this?" Coco shook him. "Nah, he's no stranger. He's Jaune."

Even he thought that was skirting the point by a mile, and Velvet's groan said just as much. "Okay, fine," she said. "I give…"

"Great! Let's go."

"Wait, wait, wait," Jaune said, finally squirming out from under Coco's hand and away. "I haven't even agreed to anything yet. I don't even know what this is. Aren't you going to ask me if I _want_ to go with you and do whatever?"

"Nope."

Coco's one word answer left him speechless. "Wha-?"

"She does that," Velvet sighed."

"I'm not going to ask _that_ ," the well-dressed girl laughed. "I'll ask you something different instead. Do you want to go back to being bored, sitting at a restaurant watching time pass by or wandering around Vale like a zombie for the next… oh, six hours until your friends get out of class?"

Six hours!? Jaune cringed. It was assent enough for Coco, who threw an arm around his shoulder so that he couldn't escape.

"I thought not," she cheered. "Let's go!"

/-/

"You know, I kind of assumed this was something more dramatic at first," Jaune said, sipping on some iced-tea and sat on a plush bench as Coco fritted about by a clothes rack. She was busy and distracted, but still heard him, and let out a quick laugh.

"I know, right? All I wanted was a second opinion on some outfits for her. You'd think I'd asked her to strip naked or something. She can be so dramatic."

"I heard that!" Velvet called through the curtain.

"You were meant to," Coco yelled back, utterly unashamed.

Jaune hummed and watched the huntress inspect the clothes on display with a critical air. Coco seemed to be well-known in the fashionable store, for not a single clerk had approached to ask if she was okay or needed help, and no one batted an eye when she collected at least six different outfits and brought them to the changing rooms.

Velvet had been another story, of course, wilting further and further as the pile grew taller, and then looking increasingly nervous as various shoes and boots were added in as well. It reminded him of how he was whenever their family had to go shopping. Then again, with how many of them there were, it was always a long and arduous ordeal.

"What's the occasion for, anyway?" he asked.

"Velvet needs a new wardrobe in order to impress someone," Coco said without a hint of apology. "She needs to make a statement, and asked me for help, and here we are. So no, I'm not forcing her if that's what you were thinking."

Jaune's cheeks flushed. "I never thought that."

"Heh, you're not a very good liar."

She had him there, not that he could be blamed. Velvet acted so reluctant he'd just sort of assumed Coco was strong-arming her into it. "Why is she so against it if she asked for your help, then?" he asked.

"She's not good with being noticed."

"What does that mean?"

"Boy, you really _are_ confident, aren't ya?" Coco paused in her browsing to look at him and allow her glasses to slip a little down her nose. "You're just here as the help, you know. I'm sorry if I led you on, but I'm not looking for anything more from this, and I don't think Velvet is either. No hard feelings. You're nice an' all, and you're not bad to look at, but-"

"I didn't mean it that way," he yelped, cheeks red and his hand desperately waving in the air before him. "I wasn't… ugh…" He groaned and pressed the empty cup to his forehead. "Sorry," he said again. "I guess I am nosey."

"Eh, it's not a big deal." Coco sat down next to him, the cushion flexing as her weight was added beside his own. It was impossible not to notice how close she was, but she was definitely not someone he could ever aspire to interest. Not with how she looked and acted and the fact she was a huntress to boot. "I guess it would be a bit rude to just throw that out and not explain." She grinned and poked his ribs with her elbow. "I don't mean to be such a tease. I guess I can't help it. I mean, have you _seen_ me?"

He had – and he'd heard her. He shot her a deadpan stare. "Wow, so humble."

"Hey, I'm just telling the truth." Coco said, laughing. "I put a lot of effort into how I look, so you better believe I'm not going to be shy about it. Wouldn't be much of a point otherwise, would there? Do you think a fireman spends all day doubting his skills at putting our fires? No way. I'm not going to doubt my fashion sense, either." She turned her body towards him and held her arms out. "Tell me I look bad."

He tried. He really did. His eyes robed up and down her form, but there was nothing he could really criticise, and he was forced to look away, grumbling under his breath.

"Heh, thought so."

"So, how does this involve Velvet?" Jaune asked, trying to bring the conversation back on topic – hopefully a topic where he wouldn't look like an idiot for once. To his relief, Coco seemed willing to allow it, no doubt chalking up her victory already.

"Like I said, Velvet wants to make a good impression, but her usual outfit doesn't really cut it. She asked me for help, but she's got a little problem with nerves. Nothing bad," she added quickly, "and she's fine once she gets to know someone or relaxes, but she usually dresses to blend in and not be noticed. That's not exactly an option here."

"Who is she trying to impress?"

"Oh, some guy," Coco said evasively. "It's not really important."

He figured he wouldn't be getting anything more on that front. "Why is she so nervous?"

"You don't know?"

Jaune blinked. "Uh, no?"

"Heh, I thought so. I checked you out when we bumped into one another, you know." She raised a hand to lower her glasses, showing him her chocolate-coloured eyes. Her lips twisted into a smirk. "Not in the way you're hoping, lover boy."

"I didn't say anything!"

"Ha, you're too easy. No, I checked you out to see what you'd do when you saw Vel, and only gave you the benefit of the doubt when you didn't act any different. I take it you're fine with faunus?"

"Sure," he said easily. "Who isn't?"

"Some people. Not everyone, but enough to make a difference. The vocal minority are usually louder than the silent majority, after all. You get it in all walks of life too. Shopkeepers, children, old people – even huntsmen and huntresses. Some faunus are less obvious, but Vel's got her two cute antennae to point her out, which means she can't blend into the crowd quite so easily."

People really didn't like that? He wasn't sure what to think, but he doubted Coco would lie about it to someone she'd just met, and Velvet's reaction was evidence enough. "I didn't realise it was so bad. Back home, no one even cares if you're faunus or not."

"It depends where you live, I guess. Vale is the capitol city, so you have a lot more people. The fringe elements tend to be bigger when that happens. Beacon is the best school in Vale, too, so you get some stuck-up elitist snobs."

"And it's because of them that Velvet tries to hide?"

"Pretty much. She's gotten a lot better in the time she's been here, mostly because me and the boys have worked to show her we don't care, but I guess there's still a little bit of nervousness that shows." Coco pulled off her beret and held it before him. "This used to be hers. She wore it because she could fold up her ears and fit them underneath. Painful and itchy for her, but people might not realise what she is if she did." She laughed. "Gods, I was so pissed when I found out. Took it right off her, told her that if anyone wanted to mess with her, they could mess with me, and that she couldn't stand there and be miserable all her life."

"You forced her to reveal herself?"

"Sheesh, way to make me feel like the bad guy. It's not like she would have been allowed to wear it in class anyway; it's not exactly part of the uniform. Either way, she got into this silly habit of admitting she was a faunus in class, and then pretending she wasn't out. It didn't fool anyone, and actually started to piss off some other faunus – like she was ashamed to be what she was. In the end, I had to veto it. Took it off her and wore it myself, and told her if she wanted it back she had to pry it off my head."

"And you're still wearing it. I'm guessing she never managed to beat you."

"Nah, she did after a few days – once she'd figured out my style. Don't let that shy, cute demeanour fool you. Velvet is _vicious_ in a fight. Thing is, by the time she managed it, she'd kind of realised my point. She told me to keep it."

Jaune smiled at the story, pleased, but also a little impressed – both with Velvet and with Coco. It was definitely a little blunt to just _steal_ her beret so she couldn't hide, but who was he to judge when it looked to have worked? "All's well that ends well, I guess," he said.

"Bah, you try telling that to my bank account. Do you have any idea how hard it is to make a beret work? Trust me, it did _not_ suit me. Took me weeks to find an outfit that jived, but I didn't dare take it off in case she changed her mind, took it back and ruined all my hard work." Coco brought up one knee and rested her chin atop it, sulking. "That was a very unfashionable week. I was a laughing stock. Or I would have been if anyone dared laugh. I bet they were doing it behind my back, though." She shivered at the thought. "The bastards..."

And all of a sudden he was markedly _less_ impressed. Talk about priorities. Were all huntresses weird, or was it just the ones he had the pleasure of knowing? He laughed awkwardly, just because it felt like something was expected.

"Speaking of people being quiet," she said, standing with hands on hips. "Get out of there, Velvet. It doesn't take fifteen minutes to get changed. Don't make me come in there and dress you myself."

"I look ridiculous!" Velvet's voice came back.

Coco rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. As if anything _I'd_ pick could be called that. Get out or I'll send _Jaune_ in."

There was a muffled sentence from within, but it seemed like Coco was serious – and that Velvet knew as much – for the curtain was pulled aside a second later. When the brown-haired girl stepped out, Jaune's mouth fell open.

"I look stupid," she said.

"If you think that, you _are_ stupid," Coco challenged. "What do you say, Jaune?"

What could he say? Velvet was dressed in an ensemble that was both smart and casual, with long black tights encasing her legs down to a pair of black, leather boots, short of heel and flared out at the ankles. Trailing up her long legs, she wore a grey skirt to about halfway between her thigh and knee, with a maroon blouse and a cream cardigan over the top. It was all well-cut and sculpted, fitting to her body and definitely showing off her figure – which, as per the huntress norm, was nothing short of incredible.

"See," Velvet said, pointing to him. "I look silly."

"You look amazing." Coco cuffed the back of his head gently – very gently, in fact – since it didn't break his neck. It was enough to wake him up, but didn't hurt. "Use your words, Jaune. Most of us aren't mind readers."

"It looks good," he stammered. "Very good."

"The male vocabulary," Coco rolled her eyes and swooned theatrically. "Ever has its prose been verbose and detailed. You'll make my legs turn to jelly if you're not careful."

Okay, he probably deserved that. Jaune coughed, but quickly recovered. "It does fit you," he said, trying to think of the right things to say. "You definitely don't look silly. I'd say it's quite professional, actually. If anything, it makes you look a little older than you are – but not in a bad way. It makes you look mature."

Velvet hesitated. "Really?"

"Gods, the lack of faith…" Coco rolled her eyes. "Girl, when have I ever steered you wrong?"

"You mean this week?"

"On fashion …"

The fact she had to clarify probably wasn't a good sign.

"Never…" Velvet admitted with a sigh. "Or not yet, anyway."

"It's still never. You look great. I'd bang you."

"COCO!"

"If I was a guy, I mean."

"Not better!" Velvet cried, cheeks bright red. "You can't just _say_ that!"

"Why not? I bet Jaune would if he had the cha-mff"

"T-Thank you," Velvet said, nodding to Jaune as he fasted his one good hand over Coco's mouth. His own face was crimson as well, hardly helped by the fact he totally would do that thing Coco had mentioned if he could. He'd have had to be dead to not have _some_ interest in Velvet. "She means well, but she doesn't have a filter between her brain and her mouth."

"Yeah, I think I noticed," Jaune said. And he'd only known her for an hour or so, too. Confident didn't even begin to describe her. Coco was basically the perfect example of his father's stupid motto. Apparently he was right, all you needed _was_ confidence. Confidence and balls of steel, or whatever she had instead.

Eyes of steel if the dangerous look she was giving him was any example. He chuckled nervously and removed his hand.

Her grin turned vicious. "That wasn't a `no`, you know. Trying to hide the evidence won't make it go away. I bet you're imagining her in some kind of maid outfit right now."

He was, but only because she'd brought it up! His cheeks heated up, and that was possibly the most incriminating piece of evidence he could have given, especially if Velvet's `eep` and Coco's grin were any indication.

"I hate you so much," Jaune growled, embarrassment mixing with frustration to come out as anger. Behind him, he heard Velvet gasp at the implied admission. Yeah, well, she could have probably guessed he found her pretty. His face heated up even further. "Some things don't need to be said."

Coco's grin was anything but apologetic.

"The outfit is a winner," Jaune said, turning to Velvet and cringing when she didn't quite meet his eyes. Oh great, he'd embarrassed her too. A part of him wondered if he should try to diffuse the tension, but other than admitting he would have loved to sleep with Coco too, he wasn't sure what to say.

And he was fairly sure saying _that_ wouldn't help.

"T-Thanks," Velvet said. "I guess it's not so bad."

"You'll definitely turn heads," Coco said. Jaune half-waited for her to make a reference to _his_ head, and probably both of them. She held back, however. Maybe it was too obvious. Maybe she was feeling merciful. "I think it'll be enough to make a good impression, but I can't say for sure. We could try the others on?"

Velvet quickly realised that would mean more of the humiliation and shook her head. "I think I'll take this one."

"You sure? I thought you didn't like it."

"I changed my mind."

"Sure you did." Coco rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. If you're happy, that's all that matters. You look good. Trust me on that. You'll do great."

"I hope so…"

It didn't take long for Velvet to change back and for the clothes to be rung up and purchased, with Coco chatting with the attendant like she was an old friend. Judging by how often she shopped here, she was probably considered as such. Maybe she had a relationship with the owner similar to what Ruby or the Malachites had with him.

"I'm really sorry about Coco," Velvet said, having calmed down a little and now standing beside him with her bags in hand. He'd offered to carry some, but she'd taken one look at his arm and shook her head. The irony wasn't lost on her, especially since she was far stronger than he. "She really does mean well, but sometimes I think she doesn't realise that not everyone is as confident as her. I hope she didn't come across as too pushy."

"It's fine. I kind of wish I could be that confident, to be honest."

"Me too…" Velvet sighed. "She can just walk up to a random person and start talking, mostly because it doesn't even cross her mind that they won't talk back. I thought it was arrogance when I first got partnered with her, but it's not. She just genuinely convinces herself she can make anyone a friend if she wants to."

 _Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet._ The old adage his mother had forced into his head came to the fore, but he'd never thought it could work like this. In a way, he saw Coco's – and his mother's point. He hadn't been friends with Ruby until they'd bumped into one another and started talking, and the same went for everyone else he'd met.

Every friend started off as a stranger. It was just that Coco seemed to take it even further; essentially saying _every_ stranger was a potential friend. Or at least they would be once she'd finished dragging them into her life.

It was weird, but also nice. Even if things had been awkward between Velvet and him (no thanks to Coco), the same couldn't be said the other way around. She just treated him like a casual friend, and he'd sort of responded to that, slowly losing his nerves and seeing her as being just like Ruby or Yang.

"I guess I see what you mean. She's… I'm going to say `special`. And I mean that in a good way."

"That's certainly one way to put it," Velvet giggled. "I wouldn't trade her for anyone else in the world, but she's definitely one of a kind. And I think that's a good thing. I'm not sure Remnant could survive two of her."

"Probably not." he agreed.

He knew he wouldn't survive it.

"And the day is a success!" Coco cheered as the three left the store, Velvet's hands noticeably heavier and Coco's purse lighter. "We're not done, though. You look the part but you need to be able to talk it, too."

"I-I can try…"

"No try," Coco rebuked, tapping Velvet's nose with a finger. "And no stammering, either. Remember, you're a big bad huntress. You don't need to be afraid of anything. I _know_ you can kick ass, Velvet. You know it, too. You ace everything you put your mind to, so you don't need to be nervous."

"Yeah, but I can't exactly fight my way through this…"

"True, but you won't _die_ if you mess it up, either. Relax a little. There isn't actually any pressure on you. We can practise a little anyway," Coco offered. "Come on, we'll find a quiet corner where we can sit down and do a little roleplay."

He wasn't sure if it was a hint or not, but it didn't sound like something that needed three people. "I'd best head off," he said, nodding in the direction back to the diner. "Thanks for hanging out with me and such. It was actually pretty fun."

"You're going?" Despite the question, Coco didn't sound too surprised. She probably _had_ meant it as a hint. "Don't be a stranger, hear? You ever see me in the street you better hope you come over to say hello. If not and I notice…" She lowered her glasses and grinned at him.

"Message received," he laughed, offering a clumsy one-handed salute.

"Thank you for your help, Jaune," Velvet said. "It was nice to meet you."

"Yeah, you too." He'd have shaken her hand, but both were occupied. "Good luck with whatever it is you're doing. I'll be rooting for you."

Her cheeks heated up a little, but she smiled happily. "Thanks. I'll do my best."

/-/

"He was nice," Coco said once the blonde was gone. "A little on the noodly side, but what do you expect from a civilian? Good kind of guy, though."

"Coco!" Velvet hissed, struggling to hide her embarrassment. "The things you said – oh my God, I've never been so embarrassed in my life. Why did you… why did you-?"

"Ask if he'd bang you?"

Velvet managed a frustrated whine and a quick nod.

"It was just a bit of banter. Besides, you looked like you were about to collapse from fright. If you want this to work, you need to be a little less nervous. No, a _lot_ less nervous. I figured with how little time we have, you'd want to jump in at the deep end."

As ever, Coco's reasoning was sound, if a little skewed. "And you didn't think to ask me?"

"That would have defeated the point, I think. Besides, he was a cool guy. I knew he'd take it well – and not try anything on you."

"That still doesn't explain why you were so eager to drag him along. You're not normally like that."

"What? I don't make friends with people? I'm not special?"

Velvet's mouth fell open in horror – not to mention her face became even redder. No… oh no…

"Oh, you were so adorable," Coco crooned, gripping her cheeks and pulling them apart. "I heard _everything_. Glad to know you think I'm so unique, bun-bun. You wouldn't trade me for anyone in Remnant! Ah, I think I'm going to have that carved into a plaque for my door."

"I hate you so much," Velvet groaned. "You are literally the worst. I still don't get it, though. You wouldn't just drag some random guy off the street. What was it about him? You're planning something, Coco. I know you." Her eyes narrowed. "I know that smile!"

"What smile?" Coco asked, trying (and failing) to hide it. "He was just some guy I thought looked like he had a head on his shoulders. You need to impress a guy, so why not get advice from one?"

"Because you don't need advice on fashion from anyone." Velvet's eyes narrowed. "You're planning something."

"You're paranoid."

Velvet gripped her eyes. "With good reason! You're you!"

Coco laughed and threw an arm around Velvet's shoulders, partly to calm her down, partly to stop her fleeing. "Come on, Vel. How would I know the guy, and what possible plan could I have? You're being crazy. Crazy, I say. Let's just get some practise down so you know what to say and do. Trust me; this'll all work out in the end."

"Ugh… if you say so," Velvet surrendered. "I _do_ want this to work…"

"That's the spirit. Now, the first thing to remember is that you need to be forward and sound confident. State your name, but remember to let him know why you're there…"

/-/

It was around four when Jaune made it back to the diner, mostly because he'd looped around to see the Malachite sisters and make sure they were okay after the last meeting with Yang. Miltia and Melanie had been happy to see him, and then suddenly very _unhappy_ when they realised he had a day off but hadn't told them in advance, or taken advantage of it to come and party with them the night before. It was only Junior pointing out his sling that stopped them enacting their vengeance on him, though the little glares they sent him said his current wellbeing was a temporary reprieve at best.

In the end, he'd been forced to promise that he would spend the day with them next week, and to make sure he stuck to it, they'd said they would come down the night before and drag him to the club themselves.

He hadn't agreed, per se – but he had a feeling they hadn't really been _asking_ , either.

They were almost like his sisters in some regards. At least when it came to downright assuming he'd do whatever it was they said. And at being downright _correct_ in assuming that. "I really need to grow a spine," he said, shaking his head. "All I need is confidence. Yeah, right. Confidence and a flamethrower to deal with those two." And even then, the flamethrower probably wouldn't be enough. They had aura and stuff, the cheaters.

 _Well, all I can do now is accept whatever punishment they see fit,_ he thought. It would be the easiest option, and he supposed he _had_ technically promised to go clubbing with them before.

To his surprise, there was someone already waiting outside of his diner. Their head was ducked low and they seemed to be mumbling something to themself, almost like they were reciting lines or trying to memorise some piece of cryptic knowledge. He coughed to alert them to his presence.

The figure squeaked and turned around.

"Hi! I heard about the job offer and wanted to apply. My name is… my name… is…" Her eyes widened. Her mouth fell open. Her ears drooped.

"Velvet?"

"J-Jaune? You…? You're…? But Coco…" Her eyes darted to the sign above the door, proudly displaying his name, and then flickered back to him again. She let out a whimper. "I'm going to kill her. I'm actually going to kill her. I… um…" Velvet coughed, cheeks red, as she tried to regain herself. "I saw a poster about a job vacancy here."

"I see," Jaune said, still a little shocked. "And, uh, you wanted to apply?"

"Y-Yes… if that's okay?"

Suddenly, the reason why she'd wanted a new outfit made sense. It hadn't been to impress some guy she liked, but rather a potential employer, to put a good foot forward and show she was serious about the position, even if it was part-time.

It also made a frightening amount of sense as to why Coco had joked to him that Velvet would look sexy in a maid's outfit, and maybe why she'd forced him to go shopping with them in the first place. She'd known all along. Known, and no doubt wanted to give Velvet a hand by introducing them and making sure he had a good impression of her.

What a troublesome woman…

* * *

 **Argh, my wrist. It's so annoying. Anyway, here's the chapter – shorter than the last, but last chapter was a longer one, as previously explained. So, Jaune's day off leads to a meeting with Coco and the first of his applicants. Will he hire Velvet, or will there be someone else waiting in the wings?**

 **We'll see.**

 **And of** _ **course**_ **Coco knew all along. After all, did not a certain pair of teammates make an appearance in a super-early chapter of the fic? Best teammate Coco or worst teammate Coco. I'm sure opinions will be divided.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 14** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	8. Chapter 8

**Last chapter was an interesting one, and I feel like I should have put a note at the end of it to address the overall tone. In short, the chapter was designed to feel contrived – the goal being to slowly drive home the reveal that Coco had planned it all. I don't just mean the ending, or taking Jaune along, but also the fact that Coco and Velvet were running through Vale (with Velvet pointing out how random that was), to the part where Jaune said "too close to dodge", and yet they dodged anyway – Coco somehow being able to dodge anyway (because she was prepared), and how she looked him up and down, etc… Simply put, everything was a ruse. How did she know of him? Well, from Yatsu and Fox, of course, who appeared in the second chapter and commented that they had to tell their teammates about such a place.**

 **Anyway, to those who felt it seemed contrived… well, it was kind of the aim, but maybe I should have explained that in the ending notes. It felt contrived because it was supposed to be contrived – mostly by Coco. And actually, for those who asked, i didn't project my left wrist injury onto Jaune. I didn't actually realise it was playing until a week or so after that chapter. It was a crazy coincidence... or was it?**

 ** _Please don't hurt me, vengeful spirit of Jaune..._**

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

* * *

It wasn't hard to see Velvet was nervous, but the awkward part was that he felt nervous too, despite being the one in the far better position. Nothing was on the line from his perspective and he didn't have anything to prove, yet his legs felt weak and he licked his lips as he sat down on the other side of a small table from her. All those things Weiss had drilled into his head were still there, but they felt jumbled and out of place. The only thing he could vaguely remember was a stern reminder that he shouldn't enter any interview thinking he _had_ to hire someone, otherwise he'd be settling for bad employees.

But by that virtue he could already tell Velvet wasn't going to be right for the café. He could tell, but he also felt incredibly guilty considering all the effort she'd gone through for this. _Effort I wouldn't know about if it weren't for Coco,_ he thought. Damn her for that. Things would have been so much easier without getting to know Velvet first, and that was likely Coco's plan from the start. Her loyalty was to her teammate, after all. Not to him.

"So," he began, searching for the right words and also his dwindling confidence. "I take it you saw my job posters in Beacon?" It felt like a good and a bad question, since why else would she be here if she hadn't? On the other hand, it was a simple one – and something even the most anxious of people couldn't mess up.

Velvet nodded, her ears flapping up and down as she did. "Y-Yes. I saw a younger student putting them up and asked about it. They told me all about this place."

"Did she have blonde hair?"

"I think she said her name was Yang."

He'd thought so. It looked like she'd taken his request to put up some posters seriously, probably still feeling the whole affair was her fault. Which it was, he supposed. He didn't blame her for it, but if this made her feel better then he was all for it. He was honestly surprised it was already yielding results, though she must have put them up yesterday and he realised he had no idea how many she had, or how busy said areas were. Hopefully, she hadn't gotten in trouble for it.

He noticed a second later than Velvet was fidgeting thanks to his silence - which she no doubt though was him deliberating on her faults and problems. Whoops. Time to go with some of the questions Weiss had prepped him with in advance. She knew her stuff and the list had pinged onto his scroll late last night. For all the work she did, he really needed to see about giving her a discount card or something.

"Do you have any experience with this kind of job?" he asked.

"N-No…"

Ugh. Why did she have to make it so hard? She could have just lied, since it wasn't like he would have been able to tell. Wait. Was it a good sign that she didn't lie? Like, did that mean she was more honest? Did he need someone particularly honest? Was that something he should be looking for? Probably not, or at least it wouldn't be an advantage in any way.

The silence left behind by his thoughts continued to grow, and Velvet became increasingly uncertain, her legs kicking beneath the table. Eventually, the waiting became too much and she spoke once more.

"But I'm a fast learner and a hard worker. I'm huntress-trained, so while I don't know much about waiting tables, I'm strong and fast and I have great endurance. I can work for longer than most other people, and work faster, too."

Jaune perked up a little at the news. Those weren't bad points. _No wait, I shouldn't be acting like I'm on her side with this. I need to make the decision that's best for my business – not for her. I need to be impartial._

It was so hard, though. All he could think about was how much Velvet had put herself through to come here, from the teasing to the shopping trip, to trying on outfit after outfit in an attempt to impress him.

But that didn't mean he had to hire her, or even that he should. Coco might have had Velvet's success in mind, but he had to think about more than just that. Even if he gave her a job here, if she couldn't do the work she'd become stressed and unhappy, and that would lead to misery. He'd seen that already in Team RWBY, who now that he thought about it had been a perfect test run for him as an employer. It had let him see what it was like to have people under you, and that it wasn't just a job of sit back and let them do the work. You still had to help and look over them, stepping in if they had any trouble or were doing something wrong.

"Do you know much about coffee?" Jaune asked, continuing the interview.

"I know a few blends, but not as many as there are here," Velvet admitted. "Coco needs coffee when she wakes up, and Yatsu has really weird demands when it comes to his. Since Fox and I wake up first, we usually have to go and get them some from the common rooms, otherwise Coco would never have time for her morning routine."

"What kind of things does Yatsuhashi ask you for?"

"The coffee granules must be allowed to air for thirty seconds before the water is added," Velvet recounted, her face taking on an almost-lecturing expression. "When the water is poured, no milk should be added for two minutes – and he doesn't like the coffee stirred, but rather for them to slowly infuse. Then, it must be stirred for ten seconds before the milk is added. Not too much, though. It has to be just perfect." Velvet laughed nervously. "Yatsu is great, but he has a lot of little rituals like that."

It sounded like it. Still, that was maybe a good sign, since he wasn't the only one and with so many people visiting every day, you always came across someone with strange demands or tastes. The important part was being willing to listen and accommodate them. If she was doing that already, and respecting their worth, then that could be a valuable skill. The other blends could be taught, since he hadn't really expected anyone to come with as much knowledge as he had. His mother had worked in a place like this when she was but a child, and had passed on much of her experience.

"How do you do around people?"

"I-I'm okay with anyone." This time, she lied, or at least bent the truth a little. He caught it easily, since she was nervous enough around him as it was. That Coco had told him the reason had felt odd at the time, it being way too personal to share to a stranger. Naturally, she'd been trying to prepare him in advance for it, and to give him the reason why so he didn't dismiss Velvet's anxiety out of hand.

She really had thought of everything, hadn't she?

Not quite everything, it seemed – for both Jaune and Velvet's heads shot up at the sound of a fist knocking against the glass of the door. "Hello," a male voice called. "Is this open?"

"One second," Jaune whispered to the girl, who nodded as he stood up and made his way to the door.

It looked like a teenage boy, though he was definitely one who hadn't been to the café before. He was dressed in black pants and a white shirt tucked loosely in, but the smart look somewhat failed from the neck upwards. Despite the smile on his face, the boy had a shaved head crowned with a Mohawk that was somewhere between blonde and green.

Jaune clicked the door unlocked and opened it up. "I'm closed today, I'm afraid," he said. "We'll be open tomorrow, though."

"I was actually here about the job," the boy said, holding up one of the posters he'd given to Yang. "It said to come by."

"Oh, right." He hadn't realised it was about that. Wow, two applicants already? It occurred to him that he really should have had some plan in place for this. Out of ideas, he opened the door further. "Please come in. I'm just interviewing someone now, but if you can wait…?"

"Russel Thrush," the boy said, holding out a hand. The handshake was firm but controlled, and Jaune could feel the power behind it. Another student from Beacon, then. "And sure, I can wait. Take however long you need."

Jaune nodded and left him with a bottle of water to sit at a different table and look through his scroll. Velvet looked nervous when he came back to her, though that might have just been because she was now in competition with someone. "Sorry about that," he said, sitting down once more. Velvet smiled weakly and nodded. "So, where were we? Oh yeah, you've not worked in a restaurant or café before, but have you ever worked in the past?"

"I worked as a photographer for a local newspaper once," she said. "I wasn't sure it was relevant…"

It really wasn't, but it was better than nothing. "What kind of things did you have to do there?"

"I was too young to be a proper photographer, but if there were any parties or things they had to send someone to, they would send me instead. I had to take pictures of fifteen couples and have names for captions. I'd get a hundred lien for every event."

"Do you like photography?"

"It's a hobby. I always wanted to be a huntress, but it was nice to have the pocket money for dust and things. That could get expensive. I also had to speak to people," Velvet said, suddenly perking up. "I'd have to go up to strangers and ask if they'd let me take a picture for the newspaper, and then take down their names afterwards. I know it's not waiting, but it's talking."

"That's true," he allowed, and it kind of was similar enough to show she could do it when she had to. At the very least, the fact she was used to working a job before suggested she wasn't lazy. The interview was beginning to feel like something out of a detective novel, with him trying to piece together clues and evidence to pin her with the murder, or in this case the job. "Was it difficult talking to strangers?"

"It was at first, but I got used to it. I'd just tell myself they wouldn't remember me, and I'd probably not have to see them again. After a while I got used to it."

"Were there ever any bad experiences?"

She nodded. "Some people wouldn't want their pictures taken, and some could get aggressive over it. They thought I was intruding on their time, or trying to ruin the event. Some others would say nasty things for… other reasons." Her faunus heritage. He nodded to show he understood and didn't bother to ask on it. "It wasn't too bad though," she finished. "Most people were nice, and I got used to ignoring those that weren't."

They chatted for another ten minutes or so, with him posing her various questions that she answered after a second or two to think. After he'd run through the payment package he was offering – essentially what someone their ages would expect, but with the added bonus of any tips they earned – he asked her to wait while he did the interview with Russel.

"I'll have a decision for you before you leave," he said. "I just don't want to send you off when it might only be a little while. Do you have lessons today?"

"Not for three hours."

"It won't be that long," he promised.

Velvet nodded and he offered her some coffee and a magazine to enjoy while he went over to the other table. Russel saw him coming and quickly put away his scroll, smiling pleasantly. Jaune honestly wasn't sure what to make of the guy.

The hair was a definite no, but he instantly felt stupid for thinking it. That was judging on appearances practically on the same level as judging Velvet by her ears, but he couldn't deny it was also true. While younger customers might not mind, there was a chance the middle-aged or older ones might feel intimidated by him. People could be weird like that, and he definitely cut a wilder figure than Velvet, who looked like she might fold over in a stiff breeze.

"Sorry for keeping you," Jaune said, sitting down. He found it easier to be blunt with this guy, since not only was he a guy, but there was also no interference from Coco making life harder. "Russel, was it? Can you tell me why you want to work here?"

"Sure can. Here's my Résumé." He pushed a sheet of paper across the table, and Jaune took it, idly wondering he should have asked for one from Velvet, as well. What he saw had his eyes widening. "I've worked in a lot of restaurants and diners in the past," Russel said, sounding surprisingly casual about the whole thing. "I figured with my being in Beacon now, I could earn some money to enjoy myself, and this is the kind of work I've always done."

"I can see that. This is… honestly a little surprising." Each place he'd worked included a number he could call, along with a name so that he could verify Russel was telling the truth. He even had some quotes written down from his previous employers.

" _Russel Thrush is a hard-working lad and quick on the draw. Does well with customers and other staff alike, and never once called in sick. Good worker all around."_

There were others like it; almost all of them filled with praise for what was by all accounts a very hard-working person. _I guess that goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover,_ he thought. He'd taken one look at the hair and assumed the worst, but it was clear Russel had dressed smart for the interview, and that should have been the first sign he wasn't a time-waster.

"This is a lot of job experience," Jaune said, leafing through the pages and counting the numbers. "If this is true, you've been working since you were… thirteen?"

"Yeah, I had to lie about my age the first time and tell my boss I was fourteen." Russel laughed at the memory. "I've been working pretty much all my life, and I never really had any skills so waiting was my go-to job. So long as you're quick on your feet, hard-working, and able to talk to people, you're good to go."

"That's true. What made you want to work so much?"

"Uh, it was mostly necessity. After my Mom died, Dad lost his job and spiralled into drink and other things less legal. Someone had to put food on the table, and what little I earned was always stolen by him." Russel's face twisted, his lips peeling back in a silent snarl. "Anyway, I wanted to break away from it all, so I worked as hard as I could to pay someone to train me, and worked my way up until I was good enough to apply to Beacon." The tale recounted, his smile became more honest. "And now I'm away from him and living my own life. Dust is expensive, though, so I figured I could get a job for the weekends. I've heard good things about this place. I'm not bitter about my Dad or anything though," he hurried to add, laughing loudly. "Shit happens, but you get over it. I'm doing this for me now, and I'll spend what I earn on stuff _I_ want."

"That's understandable." His motives, that was. Not his father. Stories like that were all too common sadly, and he idly wondered if Russel's mother had been a huntress. It would explain both his desire to be one, and the reason she'd died. "How are you with customers?" he asked. "Things can get rather hectic here and sometimes it's just me handling everything. With my injury-" He held up his hand, "-it would mostly be you."

"I'm good with anyone. I know some customers can be rude or impatient, but it's my job to wear a smile and welcome them no matter what. I've put up with angry men, loud children and crying pensioners, and always with a smile or a shoulder where needed." He smiled lopsidedly, and there was no doubting his easy confidence. "It's a job at the end of the day. Even if I've had a bad day myself, I know you've got to leave your issues at the door. When you put on that uniform, you're someone else for however long you're working."

 _He's good,_ Jaune thought, suddenly worried as he glanced over to where Velvet was sat. If he were being honest with himself, Russel was very good – far better than Velvet would be. He was experienced, willing, and if the references were to be believed, an absolute godsend when it came to commitment.

"Would you mind if I have these references a call?" Jaune asked.

Russel nodded. "Go for it. Tell them it's about me and I'll bet they'll talk. This one won't be open though," he added, pointing to a single one. Jaune realised why immediately, but Russel explained anyway. "It's a fancy restaurant back home, so it only opens after seven. You could call them later though and I'm sure they'd be willing to talk."

And again, there didn't seem to be any deceit there. He couldn't even detect a hint of nervousness, and why would there be if he was so used to the job? Russel probably felt he could visit ten other places and get interviews on his experience alone – and he'd be right. That he'd also worked in a restaurant showed he must have been good, because places like that really tended to only hire the best. Appearance mattered in a fancy place like that.

"Do you mind if I leave you for a second to think?"

He nodded, and after a quick word to the same for Velvet, Jaune returned to his apartment to think.

/-/

"So, he's hard-working?" Jaune asked, scroll held before him.

" _Sure is,_ " the portly man on the other side returned. In the background, Jaune could see the familiar stainless steel of a kitchen. _"Shame to see him go, but his dad's a real known issue around here, so none of us was surprised. Don't let his looks fool ya,"_ the man pressed. _"Russ looks rough, and he hangs around with bad people, but he knows when to put it aside for the job. I gave him shit for his hair, but ah, he wanted to look nothing like his old man and I couldn't fault him that."_

"Yeah, I can understand. Thanks for your time, Mr Mars."

" _No problem. From one hard-working guy to another, give the kid a chance. You'll not regret it."_

"I'll keep it in mind. Thank you."

The scroll call ended with a click, and Jaune put it down on the table with a quick sigh. That was the third call, and all had been much the same, two men and a woman happy to sing the praises of Russel Thrush, who all agreed was not the sort of person they'd initially wanted for the job, but who had risen to the top and never once complained.

He sounded perfect. Jaune didn't even think it necessary to wait to call the restaurant, since that wouldn't open for at least three or four hours.

Russel was the perfect employee.

Sadly, that meant Velvet was not.

"That's not even something I can argue about," he said, slumping back. He liked the girl, he really did. She looked adorable, and he knew a lot of people would like that in the same way they'd liked seeing Team RWBY in their own outfits. She was also gentle and soft-spoken which would doubtless work well with children and older customers, but those had started to diminish from the diner, replaced with rough and tumble huntsmen and huntresses.

Would those people even bat an eye at Russel's wild hair and rough look? He doubted it, and if the guy was put into a smart uniform, he'd probably look fine regardless. If he was as forthright and polite as he was in the interview, and there was no reason to think he wouldn't be, then there shouldn't be any problems. The guy could be whatever he wanted outside of work, and if that was some kind of punk rocker, so be it. Like he'd said; when you put on the uniform, you're a different person.

But Velvet… oh, Velvet…

"What do I do?" he whined, hands on his head. "Why couldn't she have been some prissy and rude girl scoffing at me for being a mere businessman or something? Why does she have to be…" he swallowed, " _nice_ …?"

He glanced to his scroll, wondering if he should call Weiss. In the end, he decided against it. Apart from the fact she'd already done enough to help him, he could already imagine what it was she would say.

" _You need to make the decision that is best for you and your establishment, not the applicant!"_

That was easy for her to say, and he'd have agreed with it at any other time. It was an obvious thing. It was just that he'd never really considered that it would be an actual person on the other end of the interview table, and what it would be like telling them they weren't good enough. The same words he'd been forced to accept when his application to Beacon had returned – albeit Ozpin had used kinder language to mask the blow. It still hurt just as much, though.

 _I could test them, but what would be the point? Velvet doesn't have any experience, so Russel will just make her look like an idiot._

Realistically, the only thing he could do was go out there and put Velvet out of her misery. Maybe she'd find a job elsewhere, or maybe she'd find something else she could do better. This wasn't it, since he needed someone confident enough to talk to people, and she was already nervous around him. Coco had done her best, but she couldn't do everything. He hoped she wouldn't be angry.

He stepped out of his apartment and crept down the stairs, pausing as he heard the two in the diner talking to one another. Russel sounded friendly enough, but Velvet was still a little off, answering here and there but not contributing all that much to the conversation. Just another sign, he supposed. This really wasn't the kind of job for her.

When he stepped back into sight, the two went silent, waiting for him to make a move or say something. _Way to put the pressure back on me, guys. Thanks a bunch._ He took a deep breath and stepped forward.

At the end of the day, honesty was probably the best bet.

"Velvet… I think we need to talk."

She looked up, eyes wide and afraid.

/-/

"And that's how I ended up hiring both of them."

He said it casually, waving his good hand in the air and laughing it off almost straight afterwards. All the while, he kept his eyes on Yang, Blake and Ruby – who had understandably dropped by to see how the day had gone. They knew he needed an employee for tomorrow, after all, and Yang especially wanted to make sure he'd managed.

Of course, there was still one _other_ problem.

"What!?" Weiss erupted, somewhat predictably. She slammed both hands down on the table and rose to her not-so-intimidating full height. "What do you mean `that's how I ended up hiring both`? That makes no sense whatsoever!"

He laughed, and kept laughing long after her eyes bore into his. "W-Well, it wasn't that easy, you know? I meant to tell her she wasn't right for the job, but she looked so hopeful. I hesitated and asked her why she wanted the job instead."

"What," Weiss hissed, emphasising each word, "did she say?"

"I want to become a better person," Jaune recounted, eyes closed. "I know I'm nervous, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life being that. I want to learn to be confident, sociable, and to talk with all kinds of people. That's why I want to work here. I just want a chance to prove I can be more than what people see me as."

Three out of four girls slumped in their seats, while the one who resisted still showed a brief flash of sympathy on her face, before it was washed over with a frown that wasn't _quite_ as firm as it had been a few seconds before.

That had been his feeling entirely. Whether she'd meant it or not, and it wasn't like she could have known, Velvet had hit him straight in the gut – instantly recalling his own feelings when he hadn't been given that same chance at Beacon. It was different, sure. He could afford to give her that chance because if she failed, she lost the job. If he'd failed in Beacon's initiation, he'd have been dead.

Still, what was he supposed to say after hearing that?

"That's no excuse," Weiss said, but even her resolve wavered. "Even if she has admirable reasons for wanting to work here, you still need to think of yourself first. What's going to happen if she can't do the job?"

"I'll let her go," he said. "According to Vale's laws, if it's within the first two months of employment and I can prove they're not able to work in the role, I can fire someone without any process." It was a grace window to protect employers from what Roman had told him, sending a rather detailed list of information through to his scroll without him even having to ask for it. It basically meant that if he hired someone who was a waste of time or incompetent, he wouldn't have to traipse through loads of legal issues if he found it out quick enough.

He was grateful Roman thought to send it, even if it was weird he knew so much about Vale's laws in the first place. Maybe he was friends with a lawyer or something.

"And would you be able to? Fire her, I mean. If you struggled to even say no in the first place, I'm not sure you'd be able to take this step."

Jaune winced, but took the criticism on the chin, since Weiss was pretty much spot-on. "I think I could," he said. "The thing is, at least then I'd have proof. Besides, I'm not expecting miracles from her. Velvet told me that since she's an upper year, she has the mornings free. I'm not going to start her waiting, but instead helping me prep the diner."

"And that only requires a strong pair of arms," Yang said, recalling her own time doing such. "She'll have that if nothing else, and since Russel is a first-year like us, he'd be busy in the mornings anyway."

"Exactly," he said, nodding. "Russel is going to come in for the last two hours of each day, and then do an eight-hour shift on Saturday, as well. Both of them then have four hours on Sunday since it's a little quieter, and I'll use that time to keep an eye on her and make sure she learns the job."

"Hm…" Weiss stared at him for several long moments, waiting to see if he broke and admitted to anything else, as well. When he didn't, she sighed and sat down. "I suppose that makes sense. At least you're thinking with your head. Even if she turns out to be bad at waiting, you'll only have her for four hours a week doing that."

Jaune's relief was palpable, but he kept himself from showing it in case she called him out on it. To be fair, most of those reasons had been thought up _after_ the fact of hiring Velvet, which definitely wasn't the right way to do business. Then again, he'd gotten as far as he had now without following any rules and instead relying on his instincts. Hopefully this would work out, as well.

If Velvet did turn out to be bad at the job, he had a few options, even other than firing her. He could move her hours to include more time before the café opened, or he could swap those four hours on the Sunday for an hour in the morning on the weekdays instead, breaking her in slowly to the early-risers. That would let her adapt to the relatively fewer customers who came by, and slowly build up her tolerance. Either way, at least Russel promised to be a good find.

"I'm really surprised Russel Thrush of all people would work here, though," Yang said. "I mean, have you seen him?"

"How can I not?" Weiss asked. "He hardly looks the respectable sort. You did check his references, didn't you?"

"They were glowing. Sure, it's possible they may have lied, but it didn't sound like it."

"I doubt they would have. Many employers tend to weigh in on the side of their fellows rather than an employee, especially if that employee isn't good at the job." The heiress leaned back and sipped the cappuccino he'd made for her. "I guess it just goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover."

"Isn't it a little ironic for _you_ to say that?" Ruby asked.

The cup slammed down. "Excuse me?"

"I didn't say anything!"

He had to laugh at the little display, especially since he did kind of maybe agree with Ruby a little there, not that he'd ever be brave enough to admit it. Apart from being scary in her own right, Weiss had also helped him out with valuable business advice. _Even if I was too much of a wuss to use it properly this time…_

"I'm surprised he was even able to talk with Velvet at all," Blake said. It was so rare for her to join in the conversation that he couldn't help but stare at her.

"What do you mean?"

Blake shrugged but wouldn't elaborate. In the end, Yang did it for her.

"He and Vel don't exactly get on from what I've seen. Even though he's not on their team, he hangs around with some people who are… how should I put it?"

"Not the right sort," Weiss said, helping her along.

"That's one way of saying it…"

Jaune blinked owlishly and looked between them. "Something I should know?"

"It's not really our business to talk about him, especially if it's not something he's doing here already." Weiss sighed and finished her drink. "Just keep an eye on him is all I'll say. Maybe it's nothing. Maybe it's as you say and he will be nothing but professional while he's working here. I can't say."

"Isn't he teammates with Pyrrha Nikos?" Ruby asked.

"For all the two won't sit next to one another," Yang said. "He sits with Cardin and Team Crimson every day, and I don't think I've seen his partner even talk to him since they were put together. They even sit far apart in lessons."

"It doesn't look good," Weiss agreed, "but I don't see how that would impede his ability to work here. If anything, it might give him more reason to want to work. It's not like he has much of a team to return to."

It sounded like Russel had more problems than he'd let on, though in a way Weiss was right; it wasn't any of his business. _I always spent so much time imagining and fantasising about what being at Beacon would be like. I never once considered I might not get on with my team. I wonder if Russel thought that, too._

"Well, it may not have been as he planned it, but Jaune got his first employees," Yang said, raising her mug. "That calls for a toast, right?"

"Even if he was kinda tricked into it," Ruby agreed, giggling.

Blake smirked. "He's a soft-touch."

"Soft in the head, more like," Weiss growled, holding up her own mug. "But sure, why not? It's better than nothing and it _does_ solve the issue of his shoulder."

They all looked to him, smiling (or scowling in Weiss' case) as they waited for him to join in on celebrating the next big step in his career. And it was a big step, he supposed. Only two and a half weeks ago, he'd opened this little place, and now he'd have two people working in it with him. That wasn't by intent, of course, but rather from the necessity of his arm, but it was still a milestone to be proud of.

That he had four wonderful friends to celebrate it with was something to be equally proud of, and pleased. He raised his mug to their and clicked them all together.

"To my new employees…"

"Cheers!"

/-/

"I got it!" Velvet crowed, already shouting before she pushed open the door and nearly bowled Fox over, the lithe boy leaping to the side and tripping over Yatsu's form as he read on his bed. The giant of a man barely moved, even as Fox tumbled over with a startled cry, but did look up to Velvet and smile.

"That is wonderful news, Velvet. Did I not tell you that you would do well?"

"You did!" she crowed, throwing her arms around his neck. "Where's Fox?"

"Ow…"

"What are you doing on the floor?"

"I wonder," the red-haired teen groaned. "Congrats, Vel. I take it Coco's shopping trip helped."

Her eyes narrowed at the reminder and she whirled on the final member of her team, who was sat cross-legged atop a pile of pillows, glasses dangling from the end of her nose as she read a fashion magazine. "You!" Velvet hissed.

"Me," Coco agreed, licking her finger and marking the page for later. "So, how did it go?"

"It was humiliating," Velvet said, her cheer finally escaping as she collapsed with a `whoosh` of air from her lungs. "Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was to sit there and know full well the guy in front of you is only giving you a chance because of pity?"

Coco winced. "I didn't think it would be that bad."

"It was! Argh!" Velvet threw herself back on her bed, arms sprawled above her head as she glared a hole in the ceiling. "I only got it because of what you did, and that feels unfair. What if I'm a terrible employee and he regrets giving me a chance?"

"How about you don't start thinking like that before you even start," her friend said.

"Coco has a point, Velvet," Yatsu echoed. "Believing yourself a failure already will only lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy."

"But what if I _do_ fail?"

"Failure is not the act of falling down; but in not finding the strength to rise once more."

Velvet groaned.

"What Yats is trying to say, in his round a bout way, is that people make mistakes," Coco said, settling down on the edge of Velvet's bed and poking her cheek. "I doubt Jaune expects you to be perfect, but so long as you keep trying your best and listen to what he says, you'll do fine."

"Every tree begins life as a seed."

"Yats, she doesn't need the metaphors right now."

The giant of a man rolled his eyes. "Very well. Every professional waiter begins live as an amateur."

"See?" Coco pressed, smiling down at her. "Everyone has to learn at one point or another. So I may have cheated your interview a little…"

"A lot," Velvet growled, glaring up between splayed fingers.

"A lot," her teammate agreed. "Either way, he wouldn't have hired you without it, and it's not like you're going to do a bad job on purpose, right?"

"No! I'm going to do my best!"

"Exactly. Don't think of it as a pity job; think of it as a chance to prove he made the right decision. Go out there and kick ass, then, when he praises you as the best damn employee he's ever hired, you can nod your head and smile. Besides, you said you wanted to become more confident, right?"

Velvet nodded, drawing in a long breath and letting it go. Her team hadn't necessarily agreed she needed to change, but she felt she did. Those three would always say she was perfect as she was, but she didn't feel it. Being bullied by those first year students had opened her eyes to that, especially since she was more than strong enough to take them all on if she'd felt confident enough to. Serving coffee wasn't exactly the same thing, but everyone agreed that customer service jobs were a great way to break out of your shell. You pretty much had to in order to do the job.

If Jaune had seen her around her team, he wouldn't have recognised her. Alone and in the confines of their room, or when no one was looking, she could tease and chat as good as she got, and was more than willing to call even Coco out on her crap every now and then. It was just that when other people were added, she got a case of the nerves, coming across as a shy waif of a girl.

She hated that about herself, she really did. She was a huntress – not a wallflower.

"I'll do it," she promised, one hand clenching into a fist as a fire lit inside of her. "I'll do it!" she repeated, louder this time. "I'll prove I can be the perfect employee, and I'll make sure he doesn't regret giving me the job!"

"That's the spirit," Coco said, clapping. "Now, did you get a uniform?"

"Huh?" Velvet blinked and looked over. "No? I didn't realise they had a uniform."

Coco's answering laugh was just a little too amused, a little too satisfied, and far too perverted for Velvet's liking. It hardly helped that she continued cackling long into the night, and never once answered Velvet's panicked questions about what exactly the uniform looked like.

It couldn't be _that_ bad...

* * *

 **And so, Jaune makes the poor decision, but what else would one expect given his lack of experience? He never comes across as someone who could say no and hurt someone, but can he turn Velvet into a lean, mean, coffee-serving machine? And is Russel as good as he claims?**

 **When will the members of Not-Quite-JNPR appear?**

 **Find out next time on, Service with a Bunny Maid and a Mohawk**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 28** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	9. Chapter 9

**Tally-ho!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

* * *

"Jaune's? Jaune sent you?"

The large, burly man placed both hands on his hips and looked down on her with a stern expression. He was muscled beyond belief with great rippling biceps and a chest like a barrel, offset by a white apron over a cream t-shirt. There were patches of flour across his chest and arms as well as his bald head, but none of that took away from his intimidating visage.

"He normally comes over himself," the man continued. "What's this, then? Don't tell me he finally got himself a girlfriend?"

Velvet felt a rush of embarrassment – one that she wasn't quite able to hide – and shook her head. "N-No. I'm a new employee. He asked me to come and collect his order for the day." She thrust out the letter he'd given her, wielding it like a shield. The huge man took it and read through the contents with a low hum.

"I see," he finally said, lowering it. "Well, that all checks out. I s'pose with that shoulder of his it was inevitable. Good lad, but pushes 'imself too hard. You take care of him now, lass."

To her embarrassment, that still sounded like something he might have asked a girlfriend, and her cheeks darkened. She didn't bother to argue, though.

"Yes, sir."

"None of that `sir` stuff!" the man growled, and Velvet – despite being the huntress in the equation – leapt back. "Sir makes me feel old. I'm a man in the prime of me life. Call me Marron."

"M-Marron, then," she said.

His eyes narrowed. "You're thinking how that's a woman's name, aren't you?"

Yes. "No! Of course not."

Marron scowled at her for a moment, but eventually turned away and huffed as he picked up a large cardboard box carefully sealed with various amounts of tape. It must have been heavy for he let out a quick grunt as he dropped it on the counter before them. "You sure you can handle this?"

"I brought a trolley," Velvet said, nodding to the one Jaune had given her. It was little more than a plastic platform on four wheels with a handle for pulling it, but it would be enough. "I'll put that on it," she said, reaching for the package.

"Careful lass, it's heav-"

"Hm?" Velvet asked, stood looking back with a curious expression and the formidable package held easily before her.

Marron sighed. "Never mind. Here, let me get the other two."

Once the three boxes were stacked on the trolley and secured with some rope to keep them from falling, Marron had her sign some forms – instructing her to tell Jaune to warn him the next time he sent someone new – and with the paperwork done, she was free to go. The trolley wheels squeaked and groaned a little as she pulled it out of the bakery and into the near-empty streets of six am Vale.

It was the first day of her job and she was busy picking up deliveries for Jaune's diner. A part of her wondered if she should be bothered by that, since it wasn't what she'd fully expected when she'd applied for the job, but she just couldn't bring herself to feel that way. If anything, she was relieved to be broken in slowly.

Marron's Bakery wasn't the first place she'd been sent to either, with a dairy store providing the fresh milk for the coffee – sourced that morning from a local farm – and also a wholesaler who had stocked them up on sugar, honey and other condiments. Jaune liked to keep everything as fresh as possible and not order too much at once, both a concession to not wasting his money and also to make sure the customers got the best possible food and drink. Either way, each of the people she'd visited that morning had known her employer by name, and each was a bit of a character in their own right.

 _Maybe that's just because it's so early in the morning,_ she thought. She wasn't as tired as she should be since she'd basically stayed awake all night agonising over every little thing that might go wrong. While lack of sleep normally led to exhaustion, she'd hit her second wind and paradoxically felt more awake and alert than ever before. Miss Goodwitch would explain such things away as the body's instinctive reaction to what it couldn't comprehend. Simply put, while her brain knew she was being silly, her body did not, and had decided that the only reason she wasn't sleeping was because she was in danger of being killed. Thus, it flooded her body with serotonin to keep her awake.

Not that it was a bad thing, but she knew she'd be paying the price later in Beacon. At least she had Professor Port's class later, also known as the midday nap.

It only took her ten minutes to reach the diner once more. She could have made it quicker on her own, but she didn't trust the trolley and didn't want to risk dropping the produce on the floor. Haste made waste and when that waste was the cakes and patisseries their shop was going to sell throughout the day, that wasn't a good thing.

"I'm back," she called as she pushed through the door.

"Welcome back," Jaune said, putting down a newspaper.

"Were you waiting for me?" she asked nervously. "Did I take too long?"

"No, no. Not at all. You're actually ahead of schedule, or at least what I'm used to." Her boss rose from his seat and moved towards the boxes, but couldn't do much with them due to one arm being in a sling. "I'm just normally busy myself doing all of this, so to suddenly have all this free time feels a little weird. I just sat around reading the newspaper."

That made sense. She needed to stop being so paranoid about things, she knew. Coco would have had so much to say if she could see her. "Do you want me to put the cakes in the display cases?" Velvet asked. "Is that what comes next?"

"We'll do that together," he said. "What I need your help with now is filling up some of the machines. You need to put milk and water in the tops, but I can't lift things that high."

"Won't that need doing several times a day? How will you manage later?"

"I can keep them filled with one-handed containers through the day," he said, "but it's just in the morning when they're completely empty. I _could_ still do it one jug at a time, but it would take a while."

She nodded and was shown over to the fridge, a rather large thing set behind a wall in between the counter area and the stairs leading up to Jaune's apartment – which she'd been told she could feel free to enter if she needed the restroom. She'd been too embarrassed for that however, and just used the small public restrooms to the side of the diner.

"This is where the milk and other perishables are kept through the day," he said, showing her each individual rack and explaining what it was for. The various different types of milk were important, and he pointed out how she needed to only ever store one type on the correct shelf, which he'd marked with colours to match the labels on the milk itself to make it easier.

Velvet nodded and tried to commit everything she could to memory, as she had been doing with all the other things he'd taught her through the day.

"You don't need to remember everything the first time around," he said, not for the first time. "Like I've said before, I'll be around if you have trouble so don't be afraid to ask."

It was a kind gesture, and she was quickly coming to realise he was a kind man, but that didn't make her any less determined to prove herself capable. Even if she didn't have to memorise everything, she would. _I bet Russel could get it all straight away. If he can, then so can I._

"The milk goes in here, right?" she asked, poised on her tiptoes on a chair pulled up to the unit.

"That's right. Fill it to the marker and then we add water."

"What about the coffee beans?"

"Those don't go in it. You mix those in the cup beforehand."

She winced. "S-Sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about. I'll show you how to do the blends later."

The work continued like that for another forty minutes or so, and once the machines were tended to, they moved onto the display cases and started to fill them with various treats and snacks. That was a lot easier, even if she had to take the time to make sure each was arranged facing the glass and that each was of near-perfect quality before being put in.

"Do you often get produce that isn't very good?" she asked.

"I used to back when I started," he said, opening another box with a knife. "I didn't know what places were reliable back then. It's better now. Marron never messes up his orders. The guy is basically a wizard when it comes to cakes."

The image of the man flashed back into her mind; his low snarl and angry eyes. "He was a little… um…"

"Intimidating?"

It shouldn't have been possible for a civilian to intimidate a huntress like her, and she wanted to lie and claim he hadn't scared her. It would have been hollow, however. She wanted to change and become a better person, but only if it meant she actually changed. She didn't want to lie about it.

"It's fine," he said, no doubt reading her silence for what it was. "I was like that at first, as well. The trick is to ask him about his children. He melts faster than an ice-cream in the desert."

"He has children?"

"Two girls," Jaune said. "One a year older than the other. They're at a school nearby and he breaks off work at three-thirty every day to pick them up. His wife works in an office until five," he added. "If you ask him how they're doing he'll gush and talk your ear off, but he loses his edge. Just be careful you don't let him drag you inside to see baby pictures or you won't be leaving for a while." He laughed to himself. "Marron is really soft when you get him going…"

Velvet giggled at the thought as well, and wondered if she'd have the courage to try it out the next time. "You really seem to know a lot of people around here," she said a little wistfully. It must have been nice to be able to talk to people like that.

"Do I? Huh, I guess I know some of my suppliers. It's not anything special, though. I just talk to them when they talk to me and I listen. I think that's probably more important than anything else. I listen to what they say, and I remember it the next time we talk." Jaune leaned back from the display cabinet with a small smile. "I guess people like knowing someone cares enough to listen to what you say and not forget about it. There's no big secret."

"But what if you're shy?" she asked.

Jaune laughed. "I _am_ shy."

"You're not," Velvet sighed. Not like her. He was just trying to be kind to make her feel better.

"No, I really am. I'm not joking."

"You talked to Coco and me."

"Because you literally ran into me. I wouldn't have even dared to approach two girls like you normally."

"But you run a café," she said, gesturing around her. "You can't be shy."

"Eh, I think you're right and wrong at the same time." He scratched his head and glanced away, smiling to himself. "I mean, you're right when you say I can't be shy or awkward; I need to talk to people and I do. I do it _because_ I have to, though. Not because I feel comfortable with it. I didn't lie. I'm a really awkward person normally."

And yet he was successful, friendly and able to talk to a wide range of people. She felt a faint hope stir up inside of her. "Really?" she asked, practically pleading for it to be true.

"Really," he said. "I've never even had a girlfriend before. I've never even _kissed_ a girl. I had just about _no_ friends back home other than my sisters, and I'd get tongue-tied trying to talk with someone." He sighed and palmed his face. "You should hear what my flirting is like…"

"But you got better."

"My relationship status says otherwise, but if you mean in talking to people, then yeah, I do feel less awkward now." His cheeks coloured a little as he said that, and she had the feeling he wasn't used to – or comfortable – with praising himself. "That's just practice. This job basically forced me to talk to people and I guess after the tenth in a row didn't snap my head off or confirm any of my fears, I just sort of got into it. You will too," he promised, and met her eyes with his. "If you're willing to do the job, you'll get better."

That was her dream. Velvet nodded, feeling new excitement flash through her. It was accompanied by fear, of course. She was nervous about the idea of waiting on people – and more than aware she'd be doing it in only a few days – but she was determined to make it work. She _would_ make it work.

 _I'm nervous and shy,_ she told herself, _but no one can call me a coward. I'm going to do this!_

"Well, it's early but we can call it off there," Jaune said, dusting his hands. "You can head back to Beacon if you like."

"S-So early?" she said, checking the time. There was an hour left. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, you were great. Too good, in fact. We're done way earlier than I normally would be. I'm just saying all there's left to do is wait, and you might as well have an hour to yourself. I'll still pay you for it, of course."

Oh, okay. She'd done well. She preened a little at the praise, even if she felt she shouldn't feel nearly so proud since all she'd done was carry boxes around. Still, for her first day and for her to be praised? That was wonderful! Coco would be insufferably happy for her, while Yats and Fox would simply smile and say they'd always known she could do it.

But did she really want to leave early?

"Um…" She held out a hand to catch his sleeve when he turned away. He paused, and she took a deep breath. "Maybe if we have time, could you teach me how to use the machines?"

"Now?" he asked, surprised.

"I'll be using them Sunday. I might as well learn them now. I-If that's okay, I mean?"

Her employer smiled, and all doubt was quickly washed away. "It's more than okay," he said. "Come on. We'll start with espressos and we'll work our way up. The important thing to keep in mind is the blend…"

Velvet nodded as she followed behind him, memorising everything she could as he explained the various benefits, flavours and textures of each blend of coffee and what kind of people might like it best. It was like learning a second language she'd never heard of before and she couldn't say she got it on the first try. She'd stop by the library later and read more on it, however.

A little extra effort wouldn't hurt.

/-/

Jaune smiled as a huntress he recognised by face but not name sauntered away with a bun in her mouth and three more in a bag for her team. Her partner followed with a cup-holder of four to-go coffees, waving over her shoulder. He waved back and waited until they'd left before he let out a quick sigh and looked about the diner for Russel. The young man was off by a table, leaning over with a smile on his face as he told something to the two guys seated there. They laughed and took their drinks, and Jaune watched as Russel handed them the bill, spotted someone who needed service, and went over of his own volition, never losing the easy smile on his face.

He'd worked out as easily as his job experience had said he would, which was a welcome relief. _I guess I was worried for nothing. He definitely knows what he's doing, even if he's not used to working here._

Russel had shown up fifteen minutes before his shift and handled everything he'd been shown with only a couple of return questions and otherwise an easy confidence that had made Jaune initially nervous. The crazy hair was still there, but he'd taken the uniform Jaune had purchased and slipped into it without any problems – a set of clean, black trousers with a white shirt tucked into a brown waistband with an apron and lien pouch. He also had a black handkerchief tied around his neck, with the loose ends falling down to the middle of his chest, and a notepad in his breast pocket.

All in all, he'd been surprised at how good the teen made it look, and with the whole outfit combined, he'd come out looking more adorably wild than thuggish or dangerous. The customers certainly thought so, and while there'd been some initial concern from the rare mother and child that still came in, Russel had quickly eroded it by crouching down to talk with the children and take the order from them instead of the mother. That had earned laughter from the child and amused patience from the parent.

"He's good," Jaune whispered, watching as Russel weaved past a leaving customer, flashed them a smile and a polite farewell, then swept down to collect some empty cups from a third table, chatting with the occupants the entire time. Honestly, Russel was better than _he_ was.

 _Makes sense, I guess. He's been doing this a lot longer than I have. I wonder if that was a part of his plan if he never made it as a huntsman. He could have still escaped his father by leaving to work for a fancy restaurant in Vale._

That wasn't to say he was perfection, of course. It would have been suspicious if he was. He'd clearly never worked with so many different varieties of coffee, and much like Velvet, he occasionally needed help with that. Even then, he wasn't afraid to admit and ask for it, though. It wasn't unusual to get a tap on the shoulder, a quick "Hey, boss…" and then a question as to what he was supposed to do in any given situation. The important part was that he felt confident enough to ask for help, rather than try to fix it on his own and make a mistake.

He appreciated that since any mistakes would reflect poorly on him. He'd have to make a note to tell Velvet that, since she seemed nervous enough to try and do things on her own. Maybe Russel could be convinced to help her with a little roleplay training before their shift. It couldn't hurt.

All things considered, it was hard to fault either of his new employees. He'd have to message Team RWBY later to let them know, since he knew they wouldn't be here today due to their after-class lessons with Miss Goodwitch; the ones they'd agreed to in order to have the day off to help him run the diner.

As he looked out over the customers with a fond expression, one caught his eye – mostly because he wasn't smiling or sipping coffee like any other. It was a fairly normal-looking guy, but he was no huntsman. He wore a black suit with shiny black shoes and was well-shaven and tidy. He wasn't smiling and instead seemed to be looking around the store with a peculiar look on his face. Russel didn't seem to have noticed so Jaune left the comfort of the counter to speak with him directly.

"Can I help you, sir?" he asked.

The man paused in his musings and looked Jaune up and down. His gaze was dismissive. "Did I call you over?"

"No, but you looked like you were searching for something. I wondered if you were trying to catch our attention."

"I was not, but it hardly matters. You work here, correct?"

Jaune nodded. "I do."

"You have a wide range of coffee blends available," the man said, holding the menu in one hand. "How do you expect people to know what it is they want with such needless variety? You are only confusing people, not to mention the staff that work here."

"If anyone is confused they can just ask for coffee," Jaune said. "Or they can ask me for advice and I can recommend a good blend."

"Most customers are happy to just have the option of coffee. No frills and pointless dressing."

"I think a lot of our customers appreciate the range, actually."

"It's inefficient." The man spoke the word as though it offended him. "And what of the table layout? Moving them a little closer would fit at least two, maybe even three more tables in."

"But the customers wouldn't have as much room."

"They don't need as much as they've been given. It's an inefficient use of the space available. And the décor," He glanced towards the left wall, which now had a series of hooks and stands for weapons attached to it. There were numerous swords, guns and weird gun-swords hanging from it. The man rolled his eyes. "It's all very quaint, I suppose. Cater to the huntsmen of Vale and make a statement out of it. It's turning away normal people, however. A foolish decision."

Jaune's eyes narrowed but he refrained from saying anything. He wasn't sure if he should be insulted or not, but the man's tone would have made him unlikable even if he'd been talking about puppies and kittens. As it was, he was just being subtle enough that Jaune couldn't tell if he was being insulted or praised. It didn't feel like the latter, though.

"Can I get you a drink, sir?" he asked.

"Coffee. Black."

"And the blend?"

"Just coffee," he said. "No nonsense."

Atlesian black it was, or would be if he served that crap. As it was, he went for the cheapest type he had. While there was the desire to prove him wrong by going all-out, he wasn't sure he _wanted_ to cater to someone like that. When he returned, he put the cup down with as polite a smile as he could manage.

"Your coffee, sir. Enjoy."

"I'm sure I will," he said, in a tone that made it clear he was anything but. His expression didn't change as he took a sip, but he glanced up and put the cup down. "I would like to speak with your manager."

Jaune smirked. "You're speaking to him. I'm Jaune Arc."

He expected the man to freeze and be embarrassed, but he didn't get even that small courtesy. Instead, the customer looked him up and down with a critical eye. "That explains a lot," he muttered. "Young man. A word of advice, if I may. Business is not something for someone your age. Run along and play video games or something."

His tray cracked down onto the table, startling nearby diners and drawing eyes in his direction. Russel looked worried and seemed to ask if he needed to come over and handle it, but Jaune shook his head and gestured for him to continue. While the man in the suit seemed amused, Jaune struggled to control his breathing.

"You, sir," he said, "are being quite rude." They were not the words he _wanted_ to say, but those wouldn't serve him well when surrounded with customers. "I think I'll ask you to finish your drink and leave."

"Don't worry," the man said, settling the cup down and pulling out some lien. He tossed it on the table, over-tipping quite heavily. "I think I'm about done." He rose from his seat, standing about the same height as Jaune, but feeling taller for his black suit and cocky smile. "This isn't my kind of venue." He reached into his suit pocket and drew forth a small, cream card. "Here, my card."

"Do I want it?" Jaune asked, taking it regardless. It was a soft and solid little thing made of fancy material that felt like velvet and paper combined. It had a stylised imagine of a steaming coffee mug in gold and a company name below it, followed by his name and title. "Alexander Sterling, Regional Director, Café Prime."

"The definitive coffee chain across all of Remnant," Alexander said. "We have branches in all the major Kingdoms, after all, including over fifteen in Vale alone."

He needn't have explained. Jaune knew, since they even had one in Ansel and that was little more than a frontier town. They were well-known, alright. "Why are you visiting a small place like this?" he asked. "Why come here and talk to me?"

"Why? It's business, of course. Nothing more." Alexander brushed past him, his grey eyes glinting with barely hidden amusement. "Good day, Jaune Arc. I'm sure you'll be hearing from me again."

The bell above the door tinkled as he left and was away.

"What was that about?" Russel asked, sliding up behind him. "You know him?"

"No." Jaune closed his fist about the business card, crushing it into a little ball. "It was just someone having a little look around the place. I don't think we'll see him again, so don't worry about it. Let's get back to work."

"Sure thing, boss."

He forgot about the encounter soon after, lost once more in serving the six-o'clock rush.

/-/

"We're here because you said we needed to talk, not anything else."

"You seem anxious, Roman," Cinder said, a slow smirk spreading across her features. He was always nervous around her, as he should be. "Is there something wrong?"

"No. I just happen to like this place, so I don't need your _kids_ causing a problem."

"They will be on their best behaviour," she said, shooting Mercury and Emerald a glare that demanded as such. The two were stiff-backed but nodded their heads. In truth, she was curious as to their destination, not least of all because of Roman's unusual backbone in demanding _anything_ from her, even if it was something as simple as not causing any problems. It was nearing ten at night and she wondered what places, if any, would be open to serve them at all.

Ultimately, he brought them to a small café with a glass-fronted window that glowed with dim light. The sign on the door said it was closed, but Roman knocked once on the door and entered. The bell above the door tinkled lightly. Inside stood a man, or – she realised as he turned to face them – more of a boy. He was Mercury's age at best but could have been younger, and had blond hair and blue eyes. Contrary to the proper response to a renowned thief letting himself into your closed premises, the boy smiled.

"Roman! Good to see you. I was wondering where you'd been for the last few nights."

The boy's happiness at seeing Roman seemed genuine, and Cinder tilted her head to the side, allowing her raven tresses to fall down over one shoulder.

"I've been busy," Roman said, with a rare note of friendly banter in his tone. "Neo sends her regards, by the way. I think she's gone into withdrawal after not having any of your ice-cream for a few days. You might want to keep an eye out for her."

The boy shivered at the thought. So, he knew Roman's little protégé, as well.

How very interesting.

"And who is this, Roman?" she asked, gracefully inserting herself into the conversation and catching the boy's eyes at the same time. She caught them widen as he glanced up and down her body, but he quickly regained control and focused instead on her eyes.

He seemed to have no idea how dangerous she was, reinforcing the image that he was no huntsman. More telling, his left shoulder was injured, his arm was in a sling.

"This is Jaune," Roman said, gesturing to the boy. "He's the owner of this place, which is my _favourite_ coffee shop in all of Vale." The heavy emphasis he put on the word was for their benefit, making it clear he didn't want to lose said place. "Jaune, this is Cinder Fall, a client of mine. The other two are Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai. They're pointless tag-alongs."

Emerald and Mercury predictably hated his response and growled at him, though Cinder merely chuckled and let him get away with it. She held a hand out for Jaune to shake, and noted that even though she felt the odd callus, they were not pronounced enough to suggest anything other than menial labour.

Not a huntsman and not a thief, either. It was an amusing thought, but he might just have been exactly what Roman claimed; a simple owner of a coffee shop.

"It's a pleasure," she said, caressing each word to gauge his reaction. He swallowed heavily, and his cheeks darkened. Such an innocent boy. "I hope we're not being a burden, Jaune. I did see the sign on the door said you were closed. We can go elsewhere if you would like."

"No, no, it's fine. Roman comes here all the time. I sent my last worker home for the day, so I'm just cleaning up. I can get you some drinks and cake if you like, and you can just do your business and ignore me while I work."

The offer was a good one and she inclined her head to accept it. A few moments later they were sat about a small round table a little away from the window. Roman ordered his drink with the familiarity of a regular customer, but she took a little longer to ponder her choice, browsing the menu while their host waited patiently.

"I shall have a Mistral Redflower coffee," she finally said, finding a blend she had savoured in Mistral but never seen since. "Do you have any honey?"

"We have four different kinds," he returned, and she had to smile, a little impressed. "I'll bring out the rack and you can choose which you'd prefer. What would the two of you like?" he asked, turning to her underlings.

"I'll have the same as Cinder," Emerald said.

"Just a coffee for me," Mercury added. "Any kind."

He nodded and was gone a second later, slipping behind the counter as he worked the machines one-handed and prepared their orders. Cinder watched him for a few seconds and found herself pleased by his proficiency. She said as much to Roman.

"He's good," the crook agreed. "Me and Neo finding this place was great and we've been regulars since. Jaune's from out of Vale so he's not up-to-date on any local news." He tapped his own arm at this, indicating that his identity – or at least his criminal status – was as of yet unknown.

"He will not hear it from me," Cinder promised. "Nor," she added with a stern glance, "will he hear it from Emerald or Mercury. Am I understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," they both said.

Roman nodded. "Good. So, you said you needed to see me. Care to tell what this is about? I thought you wouldn't be coming to Vale for some time."

"It's an early visit, nothing more," she said. "I just wanted to make you aware of what will be happening with our animalistic friends." She waited for him to nod in understanding, before she started to sketch out the developments within the White Fang and how that related to their working together on her plans. Roman needed to know, of course, since he was the one that would be working alongside them in the immediate future. As such, he was her agent and needed to know how to present himself accordingly.

The discussion continued for a good five minutes while Emerald and Mercury listed in silently. It was only broken by a tap on her arm from Emerald, followed quickly by Jaune's approaching footsteps. Cinder leaned back with a smile as he returned to their table.

"Here are your drinks," he said, setting the tray down with his good hand and then setting them before each person.

Cinder took hers with a warm smile. "Thank you, Jaune. It smells delicious."

It did, as well. Redflower was not a particularly appreciated flavour, a little too strong and fruity for many, but it was something with pleasant memories attached – and that was rare. She sipped at it and felt her earlier irritation fade away. The four pots of honey he set before her only made it better, and she took a moment to pick up a small spoon and sample a bit of each.

"Thanks, kid," Roman said while she was distracted, taking his own drink and relaxing with it. "I tell you, I always look forward to starting my day with one of your brews. I wish you stayed open while I worked."

"I have to sleep sometime, Roman. Maybe you should try working at a reasonable time."

"Ah, that's not for me. I'm not good with crowds."

Mercury nodded and accepted his own drink with a quiet word of thanks, but Emerald choked on hers, earning a swift and reprimanding flare from Cinder. If the girl didn't like her drink, she shouldn't have ordered it.

"Try it with a little honey," Jaune suggested, missing the exchange and accidentally coming in to defend Emerald. "Mistral Redflower can be a little strong, but the honey softens it. Most people don't drink it without."

Emerald didn't look certain, but knowing Cinder would be angry if she didn't, gave in and spooned some honey into her coffee, stirring it about. When it was done she had a tentative sip, but her eyes lit up a second later. "It's much better," she said, surprised. "Thanks."

Jaune laughed. "No problem. I'll leave you to your talk."

He turned away and Cinder was about to go back to her drink when the table was rocked by a mighty slam. Emerald flinched, and Cinder looked up to see it had been caused by Roman's cane cracking down on the table. It was atop Mercury's wrist, pinning his arm down.

In his hand was a brown wallet.

"What's wrong?" Jaune asked, turning. His eyes widened. "Ah, my wallet!"

"You dropped it," Roman said, smiling. "Mercury was just about to give it back to you. Weren't you, Mercury?"

"O-Of course…" He wilted in his seat, though that had less to do with the embarrassing position he'd been caught in and more her fierce glare. Had she not specifically said to avoid causing trouble? Pickpocketing their host counted among that.

"Ah, thanks." Jaune took it back with a smile, and Roman released Mercury's arm. "I'd have been in real trouble if I lost this."

"Keep a closer eye on your money in the future, Jaune," Roman advised. "There are plenty of unscrupulous people around who might not have returned it. Hell, I'll bet there are even pickpockets and thieves. You're lucky it was Mercury, here."

"I guess so. Thank you very much." He nodded to mercury.

Emerald, at least, looked amused.

"I'm sure that will serve as a lesson to you," Cinder said once Jaune had left. "Ignore my instructions again and it shall be a lesson I will teach personally."

"Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry."

"And you, Roman," she continued. "I trust that is enough? You may put your weapon away now."

Roman did just that, though not without a quick warning. "Brat's lucky Neo isn't here. She's taken a liking to Jaune and I doubt she'd forgive yours for causing him any trouble, especially if that ends up with him losing his business. She's not the forgiving sort."

"It won't be a problem. I believe this place is quite the hidden gem." She leaned back and regarded it once more, taking in the peaceful atmosphere and wide, open space. "I would be upset if anything happened to it for foolish reasons," she said, directing her comments directly towards her two companions.

They caught the hint if their frantic nods were any indication, and even Roman seemed pleased. It looked like he really did like the place – and the boy, too. _He does make good coffee,_ she thought, savouring hers some more. It reminded her of times long ago. Easier times, stupid times, but no less valuable. It was good coffee. Satisfying, even.

"Perhaps we should meet again here in future," she said.

"I'm a regular, so as long as it never causes any trouble, that's fine with me. I can only come at night, though," he added with a little sigh.

Ah, the perils of being a wanted criminal. She was not nearly so limited. _It might be interesting to see how busy this place is during the day. Once I infiltrate Beacon I shall need somewhere to come and relax. Perhaps this meeting with Roman has killed two Nevermore with one bullet._

They finished their drinks in relative peace and, dare she say, enjoyment. That had probably been another motive for Roman bringing them here since it limited how threatening she could be. There would be no risk to him if he angered her, and maybe he'd banked on the atmosphere keeping her happy and distracted. If so, it was well done on his part. The meeting was one of their most peaceful to date.

"I'll have everything sorted," Roman said once she was finished. "I take it you'll be coming down to Vale soon enough."

"We will be transferring to Beacon, yes. I'll have more details for you later."

"That all?" he asked.

"That is all," she said, standing.

"Oh, are you leaving?" Their host had just finished cleaning down one of his sides when he saw them, and came over with a slip of paper and a small, paper bag in hand. "Here," he said, handing it to Roman.

"What is it?"

"Two cakes. One is for Neo."

"You're too good to us," Roman chuckled. "I'll tell her but at this rate you're going to catch her interest, you know. I'm not sure I could look myself in the mirror if I threw you into her claws."

"It's just a cake," Jaune laughed. Despite that, his cheeks darkened a little as he held out another bag – and Cinder was surprised to find it proffered to herself.

"For me?" she asked.

"I'd only be throwing them out later," he said. "There's some for your friends, too. No charge."

How incredibly sweet. Cinder smiled coyly and brushed her hand against his as she accepted it, delighting in his startled reaction. "Thank you, Jaune. That's very kind of you. Mercury, Emerald, what do you have to say?"

"Thank you," Emerald said, nodding.

Mercury's was a gruff, "Thanks."

"We'll get out of your hair for now," Roman said, leading them to the door. "Catch you around, kid. I'll bring Neo next time." He held the door open for the three of them, and they stepped back out into the cool night air of Vale, leaving the warmth of the café behind. Despite that, she felt a little warm still, if only for the good coffee.

As she and Roman said their goodbyes, she opened the paper bag and fished out a slice of some chocolate and cream cake, handing the bag and its remaining contents for her followers to bicker and argue over. She bit into it, and made a small sound of appreciation at the rich taste.

Even someone like she could appreciate the simpler things in life.

"It'll almost be a shame to see it gone," she whispered.

Emerald heard her. "The café?"

"Hm." She nodded, finishing the last bite of her cake and licking her fingers clean. "Well, all good things come to an end eventually. That doesn't mean there is no reason not to enjoy it while it lasts. I do believe we will be paying Jaune a visit in the future, as well."

Especially if more cake like that was to be her reward.

* * *

 **Simple chapter, simple foreshadowing, simple antagonists. Except that the irony is perhaps in how the potentially world-ending criminal is somehow less of an antagonist than a businessman. When has it ever not been so, eh?**

 **I know that Pyrrha, Ren and Nora are still absent. They won't be forever, do not worry. Russel will play a part, as well. I know that right now it looks like he's just existing but serving no purpose. He'll have a bigger part soon enough, or at least more lines and some character development.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 12** **th** **December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	10. Chapter 10

**Ahoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

* * *

"Is it just me or is it a little quiet today?"

"It's not just you," Jaune said, answering Yang's question. Three out of four members of Team RWBY were sat at what was fast becoming their regular table. Yang, Weiss and Blake had their preferred drinks before them and were waiting for Ruby, who had apparently wanted to grab a weapons magazine that had just come out.

"I didn't think it was," Yang said, eyeing their surroundings. While the café had quite a bit of custom, it was nowhere near as significant as what he was used to and Russel was underworked for the first time, stood against a wall at the back watching for anyone who needed his service. "What's happened to cause that? You're normally bustling on a Friday afternoon."

He was, especially after Beacon ended. There were a lot of huntsman and huntresses who worked the days but wanted to come home and spend time with their families on the weekend, and that normally meant a lot of tired and happy huntsmen around this time. While there were a few, and many were familiar faces, it just wasn't what he'd normally expect.

"Maybe it's just a one-off," he said, not overly worried. "I can't be full of people every day."

"Won't this affect your profits?" Blake asked.

"I'm doing pretty well so far. I'll be fine even if I get the occasional quiet day. It's affecting Russel more since he likes the tips he gets."

"I'm still surprised he's this professional," Weiss said.

"And hot," Yang added, and shrugged when Blake and Weiss shot her horrified looks. "Not that hot," she amended, "but you've got to admit he cleans up well, and that uniform doesn't hurt. He looks like a bum in Beacon."

"Acts like it too."

"Well whatever he is, he's good here," Jaune interrupted. His voice was a little firm, just enough to make it clear he wouldn't listen to his employees being badmouthed – even if it was from his friends on Team RWBY. "I've had nothing but compliments from customers and he's been a real help."

"Then I suppose it is not ours to criticise," Weiss said. She sipped her cappuccino and let out a pleased sigh. "As long as things are going well and you can cover the occasional quiet day it shouldn't be a problem. Custom picks up on the weekend, no?"

"Saturday and Sunday are busy. They're easily my best days."

"Velvet's going to be working Saturday, right?" Yang asked.

"She's here now, actually," Jaune said, nodding over to a table in the corner. Velvet was sat there with one of her teammates, the giant Yatsuhashi. When she noticed the four of them looking, she waved her hand timidly.

He waved back, and she quickly relaxed.

"Is she here as a customer?" Weiss asked.

"That and to see what Russel does," Jaune said. "I asked her earlier about it. Even though I said she'd get some training on the day, she wanted to come and see for herself how he acts so that she can try and copy it. I can't fault her work ethic," he added with a laugh.

Yang grinned. "Aw, that's so cute. Even if she's not perfect I bet there'll be a load of people who think she's cute, especially if you put her in one of the maid outfits we left behind."

"I think I might get charged for sexual harassment if I tried that…"

Weiss coughed under the focused gazes from Blake and Yang, and he smiled and watched as she tried to bluster her way through an explanation. He still had the uniforms upstairs, mostly because each member of Team RWBY had made it clear they'd _die_ before they stepped into those again. He had a feeling if he asked anyone to, he'd be the one who got killed.

"I didn't buy them from a sex shop!" Weiss hissed in answer to Yang's accusation. "I wouldn't even know where to find such a place!"

"Sure, princess. It's totally unbelievable that you'd be so repressed you fall back on-" Yang's voice was muffled by Blake's hand. She made to break free, but realised why when Ruby skipped up to the table, a huge smile on her face and an already worn magazine in her hand.

"Hey guys. Hey Jaune!"

"Hey," he returned, not at all surprised when she plopped down, slapped her magazine down on the table and then started to pour over the designs inside. There was no coming between Ruby and her weapons, after all.

Something fell out as she turned the page however, and Weiss – seeing an escape from the maid argument – snapped it up. "Hm, what's this?"

"Huh?" Ruby half-glanced up. "Oh, someone on the street handing out fliers gave me it. They asked if I was a huntress in training and wouldn't stop asking until I took it." She shrugged. "I was just trying to get here but I took it anyway. He was pretty persistent."

Yang sighed. "Ruby, what have I told you about taking things from strangers?"

"It's a piece of paper, Yang. Not Class A drugs."

"How do you know about drugs!?"

"I went to the same school as you. I had to sit through those lectures." Ruby sighed. "Also, I'm fifteen. Not five."

"It's a voucher," Weiss said, reading through it. "To any huntsman, huntress, or either-in-training, as respect for the work our heroes do protecting this fine Kingdom, Café Prime is delighted to offer one free cup of coffee at any participating branch. Just display this voucher, redeemable at any time during the following dates." She read a little lower. "It's today and this weekend."

"Free drinks for huntsmen and huntresses? That's pretty cool!"

"You might want to think twice about that, Yang," Blake said, nodding in Jaune's direction, most pointedly to his strained smile. Yang's eyes widened as she realised what she'd just said, and she quickly waved her hands before her.

"Not that I'd go, of course. I'm a loyal customer here."

He sighed. "It's fine…"

"I guess this explains why there are so few people here today," Weiss said, putting it down. "Still, while the sentiment is nice I've never seen them do any promotional push like this before. It's normally business as usual for them."

Jaune shuffled awkwardly. Weiss noticed.

"Do you know something about this?"

"I may have an idea…"

It took him a good five minutes to explain the situation, and he called Russel and Velvet over for it too, if only because it involved them as employees of the café. They listened in silence, even Ruby who had sensed the mood and put her magazine away. He recounted not only the conversation he'd had with Alexander Sterling, but also showed Weiss the man's business card, which he'd kept in his pocket.

Once the story was done, the five girls and one boy shared worried looks between them. Yang and Ruby looked affronted, as if by threatening him the man had personally slighted their honour. Velvet looked nervous, while the others were contemplative. Weiss, however, let out a long sigh.

"I suppose this was inevitable. It was bound to happen sooner or later."

"What, a huge coffee chain basically attacking him?" Yang snapped.

"It's not an attack, Yang. It's competition… and there isn't a company alive that doesn't face it in some way, large or small. It's a part of being in business. Jaune is in the same market as Café Prime, and they're competing for the same customers."

"But Jaune's just a little place," Ruby said. "No offence."

He nodded. "None taken."

"Why would a huge company like them care about a little place like this? Even if he's packed every single day it wouldn't make a difference to them, right?"

"And when should they start to care, Ruby? Do they try to compete against him now when he's weak, or should they sit back and wait until he is strong and can potentially harm their business?" She sighed and placed a hand under her chin. "They can't afford to give him time to grow, and he _has_ grown," she added. "Jaune has gone from a small café with ten or so customers to one that's becoming well-known in the huntsmen community. He's even hired new staff less than three weeks into starting his business."

"That must look like rapid expansion to them," Blake said. "If he can expand this much in less than a month, how long until he has a chain of stores himself? He could be the next Café Prime."

"But I don't want to be!" he protested.

"They won't believe that. They can't afford to." Weiss held his gaze firmly. "A business that is successful must expand, or it will be swallowed by others that open up to compete with it. To this Alexander Sterling, the very concept that you won't expand is ridiculous. It's his job to monitor threats in the region, and you've become one – or you have the potential to become one. It's safer for them to deal with you now than later."

"Easier too," Russel said. "Competition between restaurants can be fierce. This isn't one, but I figure it's the same deal, or maybe even worse. They're a big company though. They can afford to be aggressive and take some risks. We can't."

"He's right." Weiss regarded Russel curiously, but offered him a slow, approving nod. She turned back to Jaune and tapped the leaflet on the table. "Giving produce away is a pure loss for them, but it's one they can afford. The costs alone will probably be recouped by stores in other Kingdoms, or it might very well be within budget here in Vale."

"I still don't get it," Yang growled. "This is a small diner. How is he even meant to threaten them? What does he have that they can't just buy?"

"Customer service," Russel said. "And experience."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's what gives this place its edge, and any small place." Russel drew a seat from nearby and twisted it backwards, sitting with his legs either side of the backrest. "One of the old guys I worked with once told me that no matter how hard you try, you'll never be as excited about a business as the person who started it up. They put their heart and soul into it and it's their pride and joy. Every day is an exciting day for them, not like if you woke up with a hang over or if you had some trouble at school. To the person who started it, their business is a part of them. They'll always be happier, brighter, and more of a personality than anyone they hire."

The table was silent for a long moment, and even Jaune was surprised to hear those words. Was that really true? Even if he didn't _need_ his diner to survive, since he could go back home to Ansel, he could still admit that it meant something to him. It meant more than he'd ever expected it to.

 _I started this on a whim… because I didn't want to go home in failure. But now?_ He wasn't sure, but the idea of losing it, the idea of Café Prime forcing him out of business? That hurt. It hurt a lot… and it made him angry, too.

"It's what we saw when we worked here," Blake pointed out. "Even when we tried our hardest, the customers were used to Jaune. I suppose that's why we're here, too. We've become friends with him."

"Blake used the F-word," Yang teased.

Her partner glowered back.

"That's the point," Russel said. "The bigger a company gets, the further the original owner has to get from the shop floor. They have more duties to manage and they can't keep an eye on employees to make sure the vision for the company is what they wanted. Even if it's not service like this, people might cut corners once they're out of the boss' line of sight."

"It happens with the SDC as well," Weiss admitted.

"And that's what Café Prime can't do compared to this place. They can serve drinks cheaper and faster, but they can't make them as good because they can't afford to pay to train thousands of people to be as knowledgeable as Jaune is." Russel nodded to him and he flushed awkwardly. "They also can't make the atmosphere feel as friendly since they have loads of staff and it's harder to manage more people. This place has the edge when it comes to specialising. The coffee is artisan, it's made in more blends than Café Prime can offer, and the service will always be better. Like you lot, people come here specifically to be served by Jaune. His name and face are as much a part of the diner as everything else."

"Then this won't mean an end to his customers, right?" Velvet asked. "If they can't do the things Jaune's customers like then they'll come back here."

"Yeah," Ruby agreed. "They're just taking free coffee while they can. It's not going to last and it's not going to suddenly mean everyone loves them."

He nodded as well, relieved to hear their support. If what Russel was saying was true, and Weiss hadn't disagreed once, then he had advantages Sterling just couldn't recreate. Whatever he did, he had to do over _every_ store in Vale – and that was too expensive.

"I'm fine, then," he said. "They can't hurt me."

"Can't they?" Weiss asked. She raised a hand and gestured to the empty tables around them. "It looks to me like they already have."

She was right. His empty tables were lost profit, and though he wasn't sure yet, with how quiet it had been today he had a feeling this would be the first time he marked up a day as a loss. The thought made him sick, not out of fear but shame. Only his most loyal customers had come by, and Junior and the Malachites probably made up a big portion of what he'd taken in the day. Without them, he'd be even more in trouble.

"Café Prime won't gain much from this, but they can afford to lose money doing it. It doesn't hurt them. It does hurt you, however." Weiss said. "That's their goal."

"They want to force me out of business?"

"Quite possibly."

"That's…" He didn't know what it was. He wanted to say `unfair`, but he had a feeling Weiss would disagree. "What do I do? I have to fight back."

"You have to compete," Weiss agreed.

"We'll help!" Ruby offered. She looked to the others. "We will, right?"

"We won't always be able to," Yang said. "We have school, lessons and homework."

Ruby looked about ready to complain but Weiss cut her off. "Yang is right. We can offer advice and ideas but whatever Jaune chooses has to be something he can do on his own. It has to be sustainable as well, since he might have to do it for weeks, months of years. We can't always be around if something happens."

"Oh…" Ruby wilted a little.

"We can, though," Russel said, and nodded to Velvet. "We work here."

"I-I guess so…"

Ruby looked to Jaune apologetically, but he smiled and nodded to let her know it was okay. As much as he'd have liked to rely on others to solve the problem, Weiss was correct when she said he'd have to learn to make it on his own. Team RWBY wouldn't always be there, and as they grew into fine huntresses of their own, their list of responsibilities would only grow.

"I think I have an idea of what to do," he said. Everyone turned to listen, but Jaune focused his attention on Russel and Velvet. "I'll need your help to make it work, however."

The two shared a quick look, followed by even quicker nods.

"We're ready," Russel said. "Hit us."

/-/

"Where the hell is she?"

Russel checked the time on his scroll for the third time and ignored some nearby girls who shot him a mocking laugh. He looked the fool, out alone in the middle of Vale and leaning against a wall. His current outfit, some frayed jeans and a t-shirt with a guitar emblazoned on it, hardly helped.

"I knew this would be a bad idea. Me and my big mouth."

In all honesty he wasn't sure why he'd agreed anyway. Jaune was a good guy and his boss, but he could get a job elsewhere if he needed it. He wasn't strapped for cash nor skills, and he knew the business in and out. Hell, he knew more than his boss apparently did. _Yet here I am making a fool of myself to help the guy out…_

What a bleeding heart.

"R-Russel?"

He glanced to the left and sighed. "About time you arrived. I thought we said to meet at eleven?"

"I'm not all that familiar with the area…"

"You've been here a year or two longer than I have. How the hell do I know Vale better than you?"

Velvet shrugged and didn't respond. She didn't meet his eyes either, and he sighed again. She was dressed in a black skirt with black leggings underneath and a pink jumper over the top. With her long brown hair and rabbit-like ears, she cut a cute figure. The exact opposite of him. People say opposites attracted but that nonsense was for movies. He felt stupid just standing next to her and several people looked their way – saw Velvet seemingly nervous and afraid – and started to loiter around. There was no telling what they thought he was doing with her.

"Ugh, whatever." He rolled his eyes and nodded his head to the side. "You ready?"

"Y-Yes…"

"Try not to sound so nervous, will ya. We're only going for a coffee."

"Okay…"

What a lose cause. Russel brushed past her and walked away, trusting her to follow behind. It must have looked even worse for that, but since she wouldn't take the lead or walk alongside him like a normal person, there wasn't much he could do. He pulled out the leaflet Rose had given him and inspected it. It was still good for the day, and would be all weekend.

He just hoped he'd picked his time well. If anyone from Beacon saw them they'd jump straight to the wrong conclusion. Velvet and he out in Vale sharing coffee on a Saturday? Yeah, that was going to go down well. He could imagine the half-baked rumours already.

"Does your team know what you're doing?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh yes, I told them about it."

"Good." At least _they_ wouldn't come for his ass for the wrong reason.

"Did you tell yours?"

"No. Wouldn't have done much good, if they'd have even listened."

"What do you mean?"

Russel stuffed his hands into his pockets and scoffed. "Not all teams get along. Ours barely talks. My partner won't care where I am. If she even cares about anything, the stuck-up bitch." He heard Velvet gasp behind him and cut her off before she could apologise. "Don't sweat it. Seriously. I don't need the sympathy, pity or anything else. Makes things easier this way."

"But don't you want to be friends with them?"

"I want friends," he said, "and I have friends. No one says it necessarily has to be your team, right? Besides, it wasn't me that decided things were going to be this way." He bit his lip and bit back another angry sigh. "Look, Café Prime is ahead. You ready?"

Velvet nodded.

"Don't act weird. Remember, we have every right to be there even if they knew we work for Jaune. They won't, though. You've not worked a day in the café yet and the only guy who knows the boss is their Regional Director. He isn't going to be down here on a weekend. There isn't anyone that _can_ catch us, and even if they could they can't do a thing about it. Chill."

"I-I'll try."

She didn't sound confident, but he'd done all he could. At this point he figured the reason was probably nothing to do with their mission at all, and more to do with him. Well, she didn't have to like him for them to work together. Like he'd said before, you left your issues at the door when you went to work. He would have worked with a Beowolf if his boss found a way to tame one. Well… as long as it didn't try to eat his face.

Café Prime was a large and busy place with a glass-fronted window spanning three store-fronts and a collection of tables and chairs outside, many of which were in use. Its main colours were black and gold, which it had on many of the banners and signs around the place, while words in white repeated buzzwords like delicious, rich, golden, and satisfaction. Despite the number of waiters, there were still tables available. Velvet made to move to one, but he caught her arm.

"We should order first," he said. "Might as well see what the full Prime experience is, right?"

It didn't take long before they were sat at a small table huddled along one wall, Russel's chair so squashed to one behind it that if either him or the person drew back, they would bump into the other. Their coffee came in a cardboard container helpfully proclaiming its dedication towards the environment. Somehow.

"You'd think using and washing a mug would be better," he said, sipping from it. "But hey, what do I know. I'm just a huntsman-in-training."

Velvet half-giggled, which was a weak gesture at best but the closest he'd seen to her relaxing since they'd arrived. "At least the voucher worked. I guess they're keeping their word…"

"It would be stupid not to. Huntsmen communities are close knit and there's no point upsetting them over a cup of coffee. Like the Schnee said, covering the cost of this is easy for them even if it doesn't bring them any benefit in the long run. Their only goal right now is to make life harder for- for us." He'd almost said Jaune, but changed it at the last second. "We should start making notes anyway. You got a pad?"

Velvet nodded and brought it out of her pocket. To his relief it was a notebook with a pink cover and feminine pictures over it and not one of their water's pads from work. That would have looked suspicious. She also procured a pen from somewhere and poised it over the paper, ready to take down whatever he dictated.

"Is everything okay?" an exhausted looking woman asked, interrupting them. "Do you need anything? How are your drinks today?"

"They're fine," he said with a scowl.

"Thank you," Velvet added, shooting him an uncharacteristic glare. He shrugged it off.

"That's great. If you need anything, just let someone know."

The girl hurried off to pose the same question to the table next to them, and the one after that and so on. In fact, waitresses and waiters scurried all over the place, some delivering drinks while others took away trash and cleared tables. Yet more worked the machines on the back wall, pouring and mixing coffee and other treats where required. Unlike Jaune, they'd also spread out into things like milkshakes, fresh fruit juices and even ice-creams.

"What did you think of that?" he asked Velvet.

"Of the waitress? She seemed nice, I guess." Velvet blinked. "Why?"

"Because we're supposed to be _judging_ them, dipshit. I mean, why come up and ask us if we're okay when we've just sat down? Why ask us how things are when we haven't had a chance to decide?"

"W-Well I guess because they were told to."

"Exactly, but it's still not the done thing. They don't care for an answer, they're just faking interest. If you'd actually said anything back to her, she'd have had no idea what to do. They're just looking for `yes, fine` so they can move on and pretend you think they care in the slightest." He scowled down at his coffee before shooting it at her. "Aren't you going to write that down?"

"A-Ah! Sorry!"

He leaned back and hung an arm over his chair, idly looking around the place. There weren't as many huntsmen as he would have expected but it was possible the main push had been yesterday, or maybe there was a Café Prime the huntsman community preferred, since this one looked to be mostly civilians. Of course, they looked like civilians to dressed as they were and without weapons, just highly athletic teenagers. Velvet was drawing her fair share of looks from guys and girls alike, some jealous and some admiring.

He mostly got suspicious, jealous or dismissive ones. He ignored them and turned back to his new colleague.

"You notice anything yourself? This is as much a chance for you to see what's done right and what's done wrong."

She nodded and paused in her note-taking, looking around with a curious eye. "Well, maybe that it's a different person who served us and a different person who came to talk to us?"

"Why's that a bad thing?"

She flinched. "Was I wrong?"

"No," he said, "but I just want to see if you can figure out why that's bad."

"It's because we're not getting used to a single face," Velvet said, and when he nodded she started to look a little surer of herself. "Unlike when Team RWBY got used to and made friends with Jaune, no one here feels the same for the staff because there are too many of them and they're splitting jobs between them."

"It's less personal is what you mean."

She nodded. "Yeah. That's the right word." She didn't wait for him to say so and started to write it down. Her ears stood a little taller, and whether she realised it or not she'd stopped stammering. That was a good sign. Maybe the nerves were just that and not anything holding her back.

"It'll be different for us. There's only me, you and the boss," he recounted. "That's good because it means it's easier to remember us and people get used to familiar faces, but it can also be a bad thing too."

"Because if we upset someone, it sticks."

"Exactly. You're catching on. Customer service is about you as a person, and you can make or break your own reputation. No one knows you before they see you, so if you convince them you're some kind of child-murdering monster, they'll believe it no matter how nice you are afterwards." He took a drink while she giggled. The coffee wasn't good, but it was acceptable, standard – run of the mill. "The point I'm making is that you need to be able to put aside any bad stuff that's happened to you recently. You need to be able to switch off, smile, and be the waitress. No moping."

"Kind of like what you do with your team?"

"Yeah." He frowned down into his cardboard mug. "Kinda like that."

"Do you-?"

"No." His answer was clipped, and Velvet winced. She looked so much like a kicked puppy that he couldn't help but snarl to the side. "Just forget about it. I'm not pissed at you. Here, you see that waiter by the far wall?"

The distraction achieved its aim and Velvet swerved in her seat. The man reacted instantly, rushing over with a wide smile.

"Can I help you, ma'am and sir?"

"O-Oh, I didn't-"

"Two coffees," Russel said. "Milk for me. Cream, milk and two sugars for her." The man nodded and jotted it down before he bustled back over to the kitchen. Russel sighed and noticed Velvet's surprised expression. "I'll pay," he said. "I was the one who ordered."

"I'm just surprised you remembered my order…"

She shouldn't be. He had the memory of a waiter, after all. "I take it you saw how he noticed you instantly and came over. That's a trap people fall into, both customers and waiters. When things are quiet it can be boring, so you wait by a wall and see if anyone needs you. Problem is you're looking straight at 'em, so the moment they meet your eye, you think they're calling for you."

"And we weren't…"

"Bingo. Customer feels awkward, you feel stupid, and if the mark is polite they might save everyone some harm by pretending they _did_ mean to call you over." Kind of like he'd done, though only to save her the effort. "That may seem good for earning some extra lien, but if customers leave feeling awkward, they won't be coming back anytime soon."

"What do you do, then?" she asked.

Russel adopted a lecturing tone and waved a hand between them. "He's not wrong in sitting back and waiting for people to call. No one likes a pushy teen in your face when you're eating or drinking. Best bet is to stare over people's heads though and not directly at them. That way they won't feel like you're creeping on 'em and when they raise a hand to catch your attention, you'll notice. Hard to mistake that as anything else."

"I see." Velvet was already taking notes. "Is there anything else I should know? Maybe something that seems obvious but isn't…?"

"Sure. Be careful when you try to clean up someone's plates or mugs. Most people think it's efficient to get in there as soon as people are finished, but it can come across like you're pushing them to leave. Play it slow and only take stuff away when they leave or if they order another round." The waiter came back, interrupting them, and Russel waited for him to be gone before he continued. "And another thing, _offer_ to take their mugs away – and if you're not sure if they're finished or not, ask. Nothing's worse than taking something a person isn't finished with."

"Coco gets angry when that happens," Velvet giggled.

"Your teammate?"

"My team leader. She's great but she can be really pushy. She also demands the best from everyone, especially if she has to pay for something."

"Then imagine you're serving her," he said. "Sounds like she's got her head screwed on straight."

He wasn't sure when it happened, but Velvet seemed to have let her guard down at last. She pointed out a few things she noticed herself and he chipped in where necessary, sometimes to explain the reason, point out something else, or just to offer advice on how to do it better. It wasn't the first time he'd tried to help a new employee fit in on his boss' request, but it probably was the first time the one lumped on him had been genuinely determined to listen. Most treated the job like something a kid could do, easy work to earn easy lien for games, clothes or whatever other shit they were interested in. Tch. It was easy for some.

Of course, nothing good ever lasted…

"Russel? Is that you, man!?"

 _Oh shit…_

He recognised the voice instantly and a hand settled on the back of his chair, pulling it back so that he was facing the burly form of Cardin Winchester. "It is," the tall boy said. "Shit, I didn't realise you were out today. I thought you were working?"

"Yeah well, it's a little complicated, man."

"I'll bet. More like trying to ditch your pals for some girl." He grinned to show he meant no malice and glanced over to the girl in question. Cardin's smile died instantly.

Velvet drew back on herself.

Russel sighed. "Cardin, it's not what it looks like."

"The hell it isn't, man. What are you doing with something like her?" He eyed Velvet's outfit, the cardboard cup in her hand, and then the one in Russel's. His face twisted. "Don't tell me the two of you are-"

"No," he interrupted. "Not that." He sighed and banged his fist against Cardin's thigh. "Didn't you hear me say it was complicated, man? I _am_ working. I work with her. She's a work colleague, nothing more."

His friend looked unconvinced. "I thought you worked at a coffee shop."

"And where are we, wise guy?"

"You work here!?"

"Not here, no. We both work for a place in competition. We're scoping this place out." He held a finger to his lips and Cardin nodded. He also blanched a second later.

"Oh shit, sorry. I came here for that free coffee…" He looked down at the voucher in his hand. "If it's not yours, I'll not bother."

He made to scrunch it up, but Russel caught his hand before he could.

"Nah, man. Enjoy it. I appreciate the thought, but if these guys wanna hand out free coffee? Well, you'd be helping us out if you take advantage."

"Drink 'em out of business?"

Russel grinned and held up a fist. Cardin bumped his against it.

"Seriously though," Cardin said, and looked again to Velvet. "You and the animal aren't…?"

"I told you. We work together." Russel closed his eyes and sighed. "I don't get to choose who I work with, Cardin. Don't cause a scene. This isn't Beacon."

"I get ya." Cardin shot the girl a dirty look but for once in his life held back, unwilling to get Russel in trouble for his own racism. "Not sure what kind of people would want to hire an animal, especially in food service. Thought you'd want to keep things hygienic and not let pests run around, right?" Cardin elbowed his side and laughed.

Russel laughed with him. "Yeah, I know. Some people have no taste."

Cardin laughed and slapped his back twice, each harder than he realised and enough to rock Russel in his chair. The guy didn't know his own strength sometimes. "Alright man, I'll leave you to it. Drop by later if you've got the time. Me an' Sky are going to go some rounds in the sparring rings. You're welcome to join in if you want."

"It'll depend how tired I am, man. See you later."

Cardin waved and wandered off to the counter, leaving the two of them behind. In his absence, the silence felt oppressive, and Russel didn't fail to notice how the girl opposite him was now staring down at the table, her cup gripped tightly, fingers digging into the side.

"Velvet-"

"Do we have enough information?"

"Yeah, we do. Look, Velvet, it's not-"

"I'd like to leave now."

Her tone was flat, dead, and Russel palmed his face with one hand, breathing through his fingers. Back to square one and no one to blame but himself. Fucking great. There was nothing quite as fun as feeling like a piece of shit.

"Alright," he sighed. "Let's go."

/-/

"This is great," Jaune said, reading through the notes Velvet and Russel had brought back. "You two did amazing." He looked back to Velvet and Russel, but the two simply nodded. They'd been oddly quiet since they'd returned, but maybe that was just what he'd asked them to do.

"The biggest advantage you seem to have over them is personality," Yang said.

"That and the variety of what's on offer," Blake added. "Quality too, I'd imagine."

"But the quality does come with a higher price, so it evens out." Weiss sipped her cappuccino. "Café Prime is more affordable, but that's not an issue. People will be willing to pay more for quality. It's only when that isn't realised that problems occur."

"I can't really influence that, though," he said. His suppliers were already being fair with their prices and he needed to pay for both Velvet and Russel now. "I guess I should focus on the other one. If Café Prime is cold and clinical, then I need to be the opposite."

"Fun and crazy?" Yang teased.

"Maybe…" Weiss murmured, flooring her entire team.

"Wait, what? You were taking me seriously?"

"Not the crazy part, but fun can be profitable."

"Wow, Weiss… wow…"

Weiss ignored the flat looks from all three members of her team and focused on Jaune instead. "There was a lot of custom when the four of us were in maid outfits."

"I wonder why," Blake snarked.

"-and that was because you did something different," she continued. "It broke the normality of what customers had come to expect. Sometimes doing little things like that can be enough to keep people interested, but you need to keep it fresh."

Something fresh, unusual and that Café Prime would never do – something that would make people laugh, smile, or just catch their interest. He eyed Velvet and Russel for a second, then looked back over the store. It wasn't a very big place, so switching things around wouldn't take much time, and Weiss was right… apart from the lack of tips, there'd been _way_ more people in when Team RWBY dressed up.

"I think I have an idea…"

* * *

 **Oh wow, I started writing this and the day looked perfectly normal – then, BOOM! Disaster. One of my journalists, a new guy I have told TIME AND TIME AGAIN how to do the job has basically copy – pasted (LITERALLY copy – pasted) some material from another company and put it online as news.**

 **And of course he was found out. The person it's been stolen from is livid. I'm livid. The journalist – if I decide to keep him as one come tomorrow – is going all evasive… ugh, what a day. This chapter was meant to be about 2k or so longer before that but I've had to rush it a little since I lost 4 hours in meetings between him, the woman who he stole off, and also my solicitor to see how bad this could be. Spoiler; Very.**

 **I now need to drive out to meet with her tomorrow and discuss, maybe do my best to diffuse the situation, then come back and decide the fate of the idiot who can't follow my instructions. Or, you know, use his brain. Pure laziness. It's not ignorance when it comes to plagiarism. Everyone knows you can't do it! It's common sense!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 2** **nd** **January (** Note: This is 3 weeks due to me having 25th – 1st off as a small holiday at the end of the year **).**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	11. Chapter 11

**Well, I'm back and working again. Just as a heads up, I did fire the journalist who worked for me and plagiarised someone else's work. He actually had a chance to save his job when I called him in for a meeting. All he had to do was admit his mistake, explain why he did it, and accept an official warning. Instead he chose to lie and lie, weaving ever more intricate stories for why it wasn't plagiarism at all.**

 **Except for the fact that I'd spoken to the woman he stole it off, and she told me that when she called in to complain he answered the phone and that he admitted it was from her work, so I knew he was lying. I fired him then and there for gross misconduct.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

* * *

Velvet took a deep breath and stared at herself in the mirror. She was in her boss' apartment, in his bathroom, and that felt awkward enough, but she'd been assured that it was quieter than the public restrooms and since Russel and she needed somewhere to change, his apartment was okay for that. The two had been up there with her earlier, before Russel had gotten changed and headed down with Jaune to handle the first shift, telling her to come down when she was ready.

She wasn't ready. Not at all.

But this was her job, right? Like Russel said, no matter how she felt or what mood she was in, she needed to be able to forget all about that when she started working. The people outside didn't know her and would be making their first opinions based on how she acted. It was a clean slate. A chance to be anything she wanted.

Her legs trembled.

"No, no, no," she hissed, shaking her head in the mirror. "I shouldn't feel pressured about this. If they don't know what I'm like I should feel _less_ stressed. Not more!" She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "You can do it, Velvet. You can do it!"

It wasn't just her personality causing her problems, though. Her outfit hardly helped matters.

 _You agreed to this,_ she reminded herself. _If you'd had any reservations, then they should have been raised earlier. No one to blame but myself._ And at the end of the day she was stalling for time. It was already four minutes past when her shift officially started and Jaune would be wondering where she was. In the end it was the fear of him coming to collect her that allowed her to step out of the bathroom and towards the staircase leading down into the diner. The moment she arrived at the top the sound of custom, clinking mugs and fizzling kettles down below reached her ears, along with the loud and mumbled conversations of the clientele. It was intermingled every now and then by laughter, and that calmed her down a little more.

They were just people, after all. It was a Sunday and they were minding their own business and drinking some coffee. Really, this was far less panicky then when she'd first arrived at Beacon and realised if she didn't make friends she'd be alone for four years. At least here she didn't need to fret about being on a team that hated her.

And much like Beacon had, maybe things would just work out. Coco always said it was her fear of the worst-case scenario that held her back. With a final sigh, and a tug to adjust her unusual uniform, Velvet stepped out from behind the dividing wall and walked into a scene of pure madness.

Things were… a little different than how they usually were.

The walls were festooned with flags and decorations for one, some black flags with white skulls on them, and intricate maps of trading lanes and sea charts, along with a wooden wheel and even a fake sword crossed over another. The tables had their normal menus and condiments on, but they were served in unusually-shaped jars, and the flowers normally on them had been switched for novelty palm trees.

"There you are," Jaune said, turning to face her from his place at the till. The blonde smiled at her, the pure innocence of it clashing somewhat with his black eye-patch, long red coat and ruffled white shirt. The fake parrot on his shoulder flopped back and forth, hanging precariously from the perch it was sewn onto.

Velvet stared at him.

He flushed. "Oh right, sorry. Ahem." He coughed. "Argh! There be me crewmate, fresh from the brig."

Several customers on tables nearby laughed, and someone might have whistled appreciatively, though Velvet had no idea whether that was for him or her. He cut a dashing sight, albeit any sense of danger or roguishness was lost the moment he smiled. She was suddenly aware of more than a few people checking her out. She shuffled awkwardly and reminded herself that it was because of her outfit, not any ill intention towards her.

Honestly, it was less revealing than her school uniform. It was just unusual. She wore a white shirt under a black corset with string criss-crossing over her stomach. Her shoulders were bare, but her arms down to her elbows were not, and the fluffy shirt led into brown gloves without fingers. In lieu of a skirt, and because she'd felt awkward about being stared at, she had tight black trousers, and those were tucked into a pair of Coco's boots, black ones with gold buckles that her teammate didn't use all that often but had been more than willing to let her borrow. Though there had been a price, of course. There was always a price…

"So cute!" Coco squealed, hand on the counter and the other holding out her scroll as she photographed or recorded Velvet's first appearance. "Oh yes, this is perfect. Bun, you look _amazing_ as a pirate."

"I'm not so sure…"

"Nonsense. You look hot." Coco ignored her spluttering denials and turned to Jaune. "I approve, boss man. You're using my teammate well."

"You know my name is Jaune. Also, she agreed to do this. I'm not _using_ her at all."

She had, though it had been an impulsive thing and she hadn't so much thought of the consequences as she had agreed with whatever was being said. This had been Jaune's crazy idea, after all. If Café Prime were too busy being prim, proper and standard, then they needed to do something to express their small and friendly nature. Thus, themed weekends had been born.

It was a silly and random thing, but Ruby and Yang had been thrilled at the idea, and even Blake had seemed more interested than not. Weiss, who Velvet had quickly realised was something of a business advisor to her boss, had also agreed, saying that while it might seem childish it would also help to keep things interesting and inject a little variety into their reputation. She'd then laughed darkly and talked about how as the news spread on the Saturdays people would come to investigate on Sunday, quickly being roped into having a drink and thus creating a chance for Jaune to ensnare new customers. Curiosity killed the cat, or so she'd put it.

Curiosity would also sell coffee.

There hadn't been much time to prepare for this one, so Velvet had just gone with an outfit from a nearby costume store, and while it wasn't overly risqué, it did show off her cleavage in a way she wasn't thrilled with. Jaune had assured her in future that they'd have time to plan and pick their own outfits, and that he'd cover the costs. It was just that this one was in a rush, and really, it wasn't like it was _too_ revealing.

On the bright side, she was so anxious about how she looked that she'd forgotten to be nervous about serving people, so when Jaune told her to go out and take orders and follow Russel's lead, she nodded and scurried off, eager to escape Coco's less-than-innocent gaze. At least Yatsu and Fox weren't- oh no, wait, they were over in the corner smiling indulgently and taking photos of their own. Velvet's cheeks burned, and she wished she could hide behind her metal tray.

She really hated her team sometimes. Well, not _hate_ hate, but more like how she wouldn't have minded sealing them in their room for a few hours where they couldn't embarrass her.

The moment she stepped out onto the floor, a hand slid around her waist from the side and she flinched. It wasn't a guest however, but Russel, dressed in baggy black trousers and a shirt which showed more cleavage than hers did, dipping down to his navel and revealing much of his chest and abs. His hairstyle fit perfectly now, and combined with the red sash wrapped about his waist and trailing down one leg, he fit the pirate theme rather well. With a tray in one hand, he leaned in close.

"I've got everyone covered at the moment. The next customers that come in are yours. Just focus on handling one table for now until you know what you're doing."

"A-Are you sure?"

"I can cover for the rest," he said, barely meeting her eyes and instead scanning the tables with practiced efficiency. "No one runs before they can walk. Focus on getting things down before you try and handle everything." His eyes flicked up to where someone was trying to catch his attention and he grinned roguishly. He released and stepped past her, swaying over to the three girls and bowing low. Whatever he said had them giggling, and one of them took a long and appreciative look at his half-bared chest. He didn't seem to mind the outfit at all. In fact, she dared say he was doing better than Jaune was, and looked to have embraced the pirate theme perfectly.

She was also a little surprised he was willing to help her out like that. It was… sweet of him.

 _I don't understand him,_ she thought. One second he was being cruel, the next kind. Was this an extension of what he'd said before about a job being a job? If he had to put aside any bad mood to be the waiter he was, then maybe he was putting aside his dislike for her as well. In that way, any kindness he showed was fake. She wasn't sure if she liked the thought of that. But it was better this way. Sort of.

Better some kindness than none, right?

At least he wasn't calling her a filthy animal again, but she couldn't be sure he wasn't thinking it deep inside. Was it better to be sneered at to your face, or to never know if the person smiling at you hated your guts? _I need to stop thinking about this._ She took a deep breath and took hold of all those little doubts, not only about her ability to do this, but also about how she looked, how Russel was acting, and the things he and Cardin had said before. She took them and threw them away, and even if they lingered a little, she could at least pretend they didn't bother her.

Because when you were on the job, you had to leave those things behind. If he could do it, then so could she. The door to the diner opened and Velvet smiled.

"Welcome to Jaune's. Would you like a table for two?"

/-/

"She's nervous," Coco said, watching Velvet.

"Hm?" Jaune glanced up from the till, paused to take the customer's money and wish them well, then turned to Coco once the coast was clear. A part of him wanted to call her his guest, but that wasn't quite right. Coco had just sort of showed up, let herself in, and then took a spot at his counter like she was at a bar. No one seemed bothered by it so he'd just sort of shrugged and carried on like normal.

"Velvet," she explained. "She's nervous."

"It's her first day on the job," he said. "She's bound to be nervous."

"Were you?"

"Well, yeah…"

"You don't act it."

He took that as the compliment she probably hadn't intended it as, and smiled. "I had someone help me out," he said, thinking of Ruby and their first awkward meeting the night before he was to open. "She was as weird and goofy as me, but something about what she said helped me relax. I was still a little weird at first, but I guess after some practice I just got used to it."

"Used to serving people?"

"Used to talking to people," he corrected. It was a weird epiphany to have, but it was the closest to what he'd been through. "Honestly, if you'd met me before then I probably wouldn't even dare talk to you."

Coco smirked. "Oh? Too sexy for you?"

"Too female." He said. She barked a laugh, and he continued after a moment's pause. "I was never good with talking to girls, and I'm probably still not. At least in terms of flirting, anyway. But just talking, holding a conversation? I was bad at that, too. I was never any good at making small talk."

"And working here changed that?"

"Pretty much. My first real customers were an old couple walking by. The woman talked and talked for five minutes or more and I just sort of did my best to keep up." He hadn't done a very good job, but she'd been pleased he'd tried, and indulgent with his mistakes. "After that, I just found that other people were talking with me as they ordered their drinks or sat down. Then I had to meet my suppliers, who would also chat while their workers got the stock ready for me to take away." And he'd been awkward there, too. Terribly so. "I got better after a while, but there's no magic to it. I just ended up talking to so many people that I learned how to hold a conversation without feeling awkward."

"Practice makes perfect."

"I guess so. It's just that before this I was always too much of a coward to try. I held myself back because I was so afraid of messing up, and that meant I never gave myself a chance to succeed either." He looked over to Velvet, who was wringing her hands nervously, but talking to her new customers as best she could. "She'll get over it in time. Nerves are normal. But then, you knew that. You're just trying to cover for her."

Far from being embarrassed at having been caught out, Coco laughed. "Guilty as charged."

"You don't need to point out she's nervous so that I'll not be hard on her. I know she isn't going to be the perfect employee without a little time to grow into it."

"Guess you've seen right through me."

"I guess so."

Or rather he'd finally noticed all the different ways she was meddling on Velvet's behalf. There were only so many times you could be tricked before you started to wise up. Coco already had her fair share of victories.

And speaking of victories, it really felt like today was one for him! The diner was packed once more, maybe even more than it usually was, and while there were a lot of familiar faces there were new ones, too. Many were still huntsmen and huntresses, but there were a few civilians, albeit looking out of place. He saw a few people admiring Velvet, but it was more for her outfit than any lecherous intent, and there was even two of the professors from Beacon – Port and Oobleck if he recalled – who were in a corner sipping coffee and reading one of the maps on the walls, a sea charter map he'd bought from the docks. Since it was standard fare for any ship, it had been fairly inexpensive.

It had been surprisingly fun to dress the place up, and Team RWBY had helped – mostly because it was less work and more just having a good time. Ruby had been enthusiastic, but Weiss was the one with the cooler head who held her back from going _too_ wild. As it was, the ship's wheel was her biggest concession and it hadn't cost too much since it came from a scrapped ship and it would have been going to the recycling plant otherwise.

Sterling would find out about this, no doubt. He and Café Prime. The big question would be whether they could do anything about it. They could probably afford to mimic him and dress up their stores, but the issue was that it became _much_ harder for them because of how many they had, and how many employees they were dealing with. Russel and Velvet had been agreeable, but it was easy to imagine if you had to expand that number by ten or twenty that there would be some people who weren't. They might cause a fuss or complain or just look miserable while they were working.

He couldn't afford to give out free drinks like they could, but he _could_ afford to dress the place up. Novelty flags weren't expensive, nor were the outfits they'd rented from a little place down the way. The old lady running it had been more amused than anything and it hadn't taken long to alter the sizes to fit the three of them.

Honestly, it left him feeling a little giddy to have gotten the one-up on them, especially since he hadn't needed to give away free stuff to do it. He kept looking towards the door to see if Alexander Sterling returned, but he hadn't shown his face since the first time. Instead he saw two more familiar figures, and their eyes lit up when they saw him, or more precisely his outfit. They laughed loudly and pushed past the tables to reach the counter.

"I didn't believe it when Boris told us," Melanie said. "I told him he'd been smoking too many spices."

"Starting to wonder if we're not drunk as well," Miltia added. She looked him up and down and whistled appreciatively. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

"Say something."

"Make it hot."

"If you can," Melanie teased.

Was that a challenge? He didn't normally like the idea of letting the twins get to him – any more than they already did, that was – but since he was already feeling cheerful over the day's success, he wasn't about to back down in the face of that. He coughed, struck a pose, and leaned one arm on the counter before them.

"Arghh! Welcome to Jaune's. I'm Captain Jaune, lord of this here ship. What can I do for two fine ladies like yourselves?" He finished with a roguish smile and a wink, and waited for their response. Miltia and Melanie stared back at him for a few long seconds, before Melanie sighed and placed her forehead against the counter.

"My dreams are shattered."

"How can a pirate be so limp?" Miltia asked.

"You're like the pussy-cat of the sea."

"So sad!" they said in unison.

"A-Alright, let's not go that far," he stammered, his voice going back to normal. "What was wrong with that? I thought I looked pretty good in this."

"You do," Miltia said, looking him up and down again. "It makes you look damn good. The problem is every time you open your mouth, that image is shattered."

"You're too nice," Melanie explained. The white-dressed twin drew up a stool and sat on it. "I'm starting to think you couldn't be angry at someone if you tried. Pirates are meant to be dastardly rogues and that coat makes you look like a swashbuckling king of the sea. Thing is, the dastardliest thing you'd do is serve someone an uneven cake slice."

Coco sniggered from nearby, and it only turned into a laugh when he shot her a betrayed glare.

"It's okay," Miltia said, and he wondered if it was weird that he didn't even flinch when her crimson claws tapped his shoulder. "We're used to it by now. You're a _nice guy_."

"Is that so bad?" he asked.

"Nice guys finish last."

"Which would normally be a good thing for us, except that pretty much _no_ guys finish last where we're concerned." Melanie winked at her sister, but the joke went over his head. She saw it and sighed again. "See? You're adorably innocent, but that doesn't gel with the pirate look. If you captured me on the high seas and threatened to make me walk the plank, I'd die laughing. You're like a puppy. You can bark and bark, but no one's going to be afraid of you."

Jaune sulked a little at that, not quite feeling as tall and powerful as he had a moment before. The twins noticed and rolled their eyes, but Miltia did flick his nose before he could start moping. "Don't pout," she said. "That's not a good thing for any guy to do. We're not saying you suck or something, just that it doesn't suit you. Look at us. Could you imagine the two of us in a school uniform and giggling in a corner as a good-looking guy walks by?"

He couldn't. In fact, the more he thought about it the more he imagined the two leaning out to cat-call the guy, or maybe sharing a quick look before they hunted him down themselves and made him scream for mercy. He laughed at the image.

"See? That's what we mean. We're bad girls. We'd look out of place trying to be good, and you do the same the other way around."

"At least when you talk, anyway." Melanie said. She looked him up and down again. "If you keep your mouth shut, a girl can dream."

"Does that mean we're not supposed to be friends, then?" he teased. "Since I'm a nice guy and you're bad girls, after all. You should want nothing to do with me."

The two girls in question shared a look between them, before they each leaned forward to lay a hand on his chest. He backed up instinctively, but they'd caught him between a coffee machine and the till and he swallowed as they leaned close, their eyes lidded. He was suddenly far more aware of the dark shadows of makeup around their eyes, and the way their lips glistened.

"I wouldn't say that," Melanie crooned. "Girls like us are always looking for your kind."

"It's practically a tradition," her sister echoed.

"After all, bad girls like us tend to corrupt nice guys like you."

"Do you want us to corrupt you, Jaune?" Miltia asked. She breathed warmly against his neck. "Do you want us to show you just how _bad_ we can be?"

He swallowed audibly, his face bright red. Even so, he'd hung around them enough to know where this was going. "Y-You're teasing me."

They smiled in unison, and spoke in it as well.

"Are we? Are you so sure?"

Jaune continued to blush, and looked away in defeat when they started to laugh, it being echoed by Coco. "Very funny," he said. "Let's all have fun at my expense. What are the two of you doing here anyway? You sent one of your guys earlier for your order."

"Can't we come just to see you?" Melanie asked.

"Yes, and you're doing so right now. I'm asking what the occasion is."

"Wanted to see you in fancy dress."

"I'm not sure I believe that," he said.

"Are you accusing me of lying?"

Jaune smirked at her. "Isn't it what a bad girl like you would do?"

"Touché." Melanie didn't look upset at having been caught out, but the two of them did sit back down and give him a chance to catch his breath. "We came by because we heard a little rumour about you getting into a dick-measuring contest with someone."

"Excuse me?"

"Café Prime."

"You mean I'm in competition with them," he said. Dick-measuring, really… "Yeah, I am. They tried to draw people away by offering free coffee. I'm pulling them back by doing themed weekends where we dress up and decorate the place."

"You going to keep doing that?"

"If it works out," he said. It was so far, so he figured they'd try next week as well.

"What Melanie is trying non-so-subtly to hint at," Miltia teased, "is that she's wondering why you didn't come to _us_ for help."

Jaune blinked. "Decorating?"

"Dealing with your problem. Sheesh, you're lucky you're cute." She rolled her eyes. "We could have helped you out, you know. You're under our protection."

"Yeah." Melanie's smile faded. She shot him a look that was equal parts offended and hurt. "Why not ask us? We could have gone over to see this guy who threatened you. We could have had this sorted out quickly."

Miltia put one finger in her mouth and pulled it out, making a loud popping sound. "Short and sweet," she said, smiling viciously. Despite that, her eyes were still narrowed as she watched him. Maybe he was going crazy, but it almost felt like the two were displeased with him…

Were they upset because he hadn't thought to ask them for help?

Were they… jealous?

He had a feeling asking them that would earn some very negative responses. Whether they'd be true or not was up in the air, but they'd certainly make him regret asking in the first place. He laughed out loud, feeling a little lighter for their concern. Miltia and Melanie stiffened, their eyes turning to slits, but he spoke before they could be offended and stomp off.

"It's not that I don't trust you two," he said. "It's just that I wanted to handle this on my own. I can't go running to you whenever something goes wrong, can I? What kind of person would that make me?"

"Hmm…" Miltia hummed and narrowed her eyes, clearly deciding whether she trusted his words or not. "I suppose independence isn't an unattractive trait."

"In moderation," Melanie added. "You should still rely on us a little. You'd be lost without us."

"Especially for something as big as this. You don't tell a lamb to fight off a wolf. Café Prime is a little bit bigger than you. It's hardly a fair fight."

"Maybe not, but it's a fight I'm stuck in," he said. "If I can't beat them, then what's to say I can beat anyone else who opens up? I need to do this on my own. Besides, it's not like they're doing anything illegal to me so I don't want to do anything illegal in return." Jaune made the hint so obvious that even Coco probably picked up on it, if she didn't know who the Malachites were already. She wasn't a first year, after all. "I want to beat him at his game."

Miltia hummed again and watched his face. "Almost," she said.

"What?"

"I'd give it a seven," Melanie added.

"Maybe an eight."

"I think you're being too generous."

"I think he needs it."

"Maybe so." Melanie sighed and looked back to him, finally deigning to let him enter what was already a one-sided conversation. "Alright, we'll let it go for now. We'll give you your chance to prove to us how manly you can be."

"I'm not even sure what you're on about," he said. "Why do I need to prove anything to you?"

"But we're still upset you didn't at least tell us first," she said, ignoring him. "A guy comes into your shop and threatens you. I don't care if it's business or not. If someone threatens you, you tell us. Got it?"

"Alright, alright, I get it."

A small fist settled in his collar, dragging his face down. Melanie and Miltia did _not_ look happy.

"A flippant attitude doesn't suit you," Miltia hissed, her claws tickling his cheek. "It just pisses me off. Let's try again. When someone threatens you. You tell us. Got it?"

He swallowed. "G-Got it."

"Good." She smiled and released him, and he rubbed his neck warily. "We don't like being left in the dark, Jaune."

"Especially with a venture like this," Melanie said, in full agreement with her sister. "We had to hear about this from blondie. That wasn't nice. A good friend would have told us himself. He would have let us know so that we didn't assume something bad had happened."

Miltia nodded along with her sister, the two clearly annoyed with him. He wasn't sure how he'd missed it before, to be honest. He could understand it to a degree, though. Now that they'd pointed it out.

"I'm sorry for making you worry about me," he said.

"Worry!?" Miltia rocked back in her seat. "W-What?"

"Who would worry about you?" Melanie snapped.

"Not us. We weren't worried."

"Why would we be?"

"Arrogance isn't attractive either," Miltia said. "Tch. It's a bit egotistical to think beautiful girls like us would worry about someone like _you_."

"I think he's getting too big for his pants, Miltia."

"Idiot."

Jaune blinked, suddenly faced by a new kind of anger, albeit one that seemed somewhat less focused than before. Both of the girls glared at him, but they seemed more offended than genuinely angry.

"But you just said I should tell you so you wouldn't think something bad had happened."

"Yeah," Melanie said, "But that doesn't mean we're worried about you or anything."

"You just make good coffee and cakes," Miltia agreed. "It's nothing more. We'd find a _way_ cuter guy to spend our time with if you were gone. It wouldn't even bother us. It's not like we have to spend our time here or anything."

"It's not like-" Melanie paused and glared to the side. "What's so funny?"

"N-Nothing," Coco gasped, face buried into her arms. Her shoulders were shaking. "Nothing – snrk – at all."

"Bitch," Miltia snapped. "Mind your own business."

Coco only laughed harder, slamming one fist down on the counter.

"So yeah," Melanie said, ignoring Coco. "Don't get the wrong idea, bucko. You're our plaything, nothing more. We'll look after you right now, but don't get ahead of yourself. It's not like we're actually concerned about what happens to you. One day we'll get bored and -poof- we're gone."

"Right. I get it." He didn't, but it was the safe answer. He decided to change the subject. "You said that Yang told you? Since when were you three friends?"

"Since never. Mutual enemies make for alliances, though."

"Mutual…?" Jaune only had to think for a second before he sighed. "Please don't do anything crazy against Café Prime. I'd like to _not_ read the newspaper and find out several huntresses firebombed the place or something."

"Nah. We'd be way subtler than that."

" _Or something,"_ he stressed. "No shenanigans. Not unless they do it to me first."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Miltia's dismissive tone made it apparent how interested she was in sticking to my demands. She looked back to Coco. "Alright shades, what part do you play in this? Don't think we didn't hear you listening in. Friend or foe?"

"Neither." Coco grinned when they raised their eyebrows. "But my teammate just started working here, so I've got a vested interest in this place _not_ being pushed out of business."

Miltia's smile turned vicious. "Mutual enemies?"

"Very mutual."

Jaune groaned out loud, leaving the three to it as they discussed in what ways they were going to try and get back at a perfectly innocent company for the actions of one man. He'd have liked to stay and keep an eye on them, but it was time for Russel's break and he needed to go out and help Velvet before she was overwhelmed. She was coming on okay, but there was no way she could manage the whole place on her own, and Russel was overworked as it was. He could only hope Miltia, Melanie and Coco didn't get up to anything while he wasn't watching.

He didn't feel very confident about that…

/-/

"It's around here somewhere."

"Are you certain?"

"Of course I am." The girl huffed and struck an indignant pose, though the smile on her face gave her true feelings away. It always did. "Since when have I ever led us wrong?"

"Recently?"

"Ever."

He could recall a few times, but he wisely chose not to mention any of them. Ultimately, it didn't matter. Wrong or not, he would follow as he always had. "Why are you so interested in this place, anyway? Unless I'm mistaken, you hate coffee."

And for that he felt nothing but relief. She could be bad enough normally, and he dreaded what a sudden dose of caffeine would do to her. His companion didn't notice his horror, of course. She continued on, tugging on his arm as he followed close behind.

"I don't like coffee, but I keep hearing people talk about this place. Plus, pirates!" She yelled the last word as if it explained everything, and with her it sometimes did. "Where else am I going to find pirates in Vale? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"I'll take your word for it."

To his surprise, the girl pulling him along paused, and they came to a quiet stop in the middle of a crowded street. Rather than crash into them people parted on either side. He tried to see her face, but she kept it away.

"Hey…" she whispered.

"Hm?"

"You'll come as well, right?" she asked. "We'll go together?"

The young man chuckled, as if the answer should have been obvious. To him, it was, and he nodded his head.

"Of course, Nora. Like always."

* * *

 **My oh my, there certainly were a lot of people determined this was going to be a cross-dressing situation for some reason. No, I went with a themed café. I used to visit one when I was a student at university, and they would have a different dress-up motif every Saturday. Those days were always busy and the people who worked there were really energetic about it, having more fun on those days than any other. It was a good atmosphere.**

 **Either way, Jaune has fended off the first broadside from Café Prime. Can he continue to do so? Will Velvet figure Russel out? Will the Malachites ever get what they want? Will Pyrrha ever show her face in a significant role?**

 **Find out next time.**

 **Apart from that last one. Find out later.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 16th** **January - Edit: I originally put wrong date as 9th. My apologies.**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	12. Chapter 12

**Here we are with another chapter. Work is busy at the moment, and it always seems to hit hardest on my Tuesday.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

* * *

"Russel!"

Jaune paused in taking an order as the high-pitched cry split the café, bringing silence to every table as people looked towards the door. There, an orange-haired girl had a wide smile on her face. Beside her was a dark-haired young man, head in hands, obviously embarrassed about the sudden attention being heaped on them both.

"And here's your change," Jaune chuckled, finishing his order. "Would you like me to wrap that cake to go?"

"It's fine, my boy," the portly professor laughed. "It won't survive the trip to the door!"

"Have a little restraint, Peter," Oobleck sighed. "Thank you for the wonderful coffee, Jaune. It's a delight as always."

The Beacon professors left with a quick wave and a muffled `thanks` from Port, who true to his word had already started to devour his lemon slice. Their absence gave Jaune a chance to slide over to Russel, who was working a coffee machine. The young man sighed, not quite at Jaune, but rather the girl rapidly approaching.

"Friends of yours?" Jaune asked.

"Something like that…"

"Russel!" the girl practically shouted, hands on the counter. She was a rather pretty girl with bright eyes and a brighter smile. Her outfit was a mixture of pink, white and grey, and she definitely filled it out. It hardly helped that she was leaning forward, giving him an unasked – but not unappreciated – view of her assets. Orange hair fell lightly about her full face.

She didn't seem to notice him looking at all, but a polite cough had Jaune's cheeks flushing. The other visitor, a pink-eyed, black-haired, boy, didn't quite send Jaune a dirty look, but certainly knew what he'd been focused on.

"Nora," Russel said, more sighed really, in return. "Ren."

"Is that all you have to say to us, mister!? When were you going to tell us you had a job?"

"Nora," the other boy coughed. "He mentioned it to us yesterday."

The girl paused, accusing finger frozen in the air. "He did?"

"Yes."

"You're sure?"

"It was during breakfast."

"Why didn't I hear about it?"

"You were eating pancakes," Russel drawled. "I'd be surprised if you could hear anything over the sound of that."

Rather than be offended at what sounded like something of an insult, even to him, the girl – Nora – cocked her head to one side and tapped her lips with a finger. "Hm. That makes sense. Still, you should have told me you were a pirate!"

"It's fancy dress," Russel deadpanned.

"That's what a pirate _would_ say. I'm onto you, mister."

She was so energetic, and so random, that Jaune had to laugh. With the queue clear and most of the people taken care of, Velvet doing her best to collect mugs and wash them, he sauntered over to stand beside Russel. "Are these your teammates?" he asked.

"No. Teammates of a friend."

The girl blinked up at Jaune. "Who are you?"

"This is Jaune," Russel introduced. "He's my boss. Jaune, this is Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. They're on my friend's team, Team CRSN or Crimson."

"Nice to meet you," Nora said, gripping his good hand – almost crushing it – and then forcing it into her friend's hand. "This is Ren. He's shy so treat him nicely."

Ren, far from looking shy, sighed dramatically. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said.

"So, is your name Lie, or…?"

"I prefer Ren, thank you."

Nora gasped and planted both hands on her cheeks. "It's finally happened. Ren's found his bromance!"

Ren sighed and Jaune laughed. Their `bromance` was short lived, and soon enough he had a cup of coffee for each of them as they took the stools at the bar so they could chat with Russel. Ren took a fine blend of coffee from Mistral, a soft, herbal, scent, while Nora asked for a Cappuccino, much to her companion's obvious horror. Jaune almost felt bad serving it but it wasn't like he could say no to a customer. She also had a chocolate cake slice before her.

"So, you're the owner," Ren said. "That's quite an accomplishment for someone your age. How long have you been doing this for?"

"Less than a month. This whole thing is fairly new. You two are from Beacon, right?"

"Hm." He nodded. "You seem to have a lot of huntsmen customers."

"It's pretty much by accident, to be honest. They just sort of made this their regular drinking hole." Jaune glanced over to see Russel talking to Nora, or rather Nora talking to him and the teen pretending to listen while he stared off into the middle-distance. "I'm kind of surprised how she is with him. Russel is a good worker but he's never seemed like the chattiest of people."

"That would be Nora for you. She's like that with anyone who isn't rude." There was a curious twist to Ren's face, almost a frown, maybe a scowl. It was washed away before he could comment on it, however. "He's not actually a part of our team but he doesn't seem to get on well with his own and often spends time with our team leader at mealtimes and between lessons. I'm not completely sure why but Nora took an instant liking to him and talks to him whenever she can."

"And you're okay with that?"

Ren chuckled. "I'm grateful for the little peace I occasionally get. Please don't mistake our relationship; we are good friends and nothing more. That said, I don't think Nora feels that way about Russel. I'm not sure what it is that makes her latch onto him so but she refuses to take his attempts to get rid of her seriously."

He must have meant Russel's rather obvious lack of interest, which did come across a little rude as he blatantly ignored Nora. Most people would have been put off by that, or at least they would have felt awkward. The bubbly huntress didn't seem to care, however. She kept the conversation going on her own, and refused to stop prodding him until he answered her questions.

"Oh, oh," she said, turning to the two of them. "Ren, we should _totally_ make this a team meeting area. We could come here for cakes whenever we're in Vale and maybe even-"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Russel said.

Nora, for the first time, hesitated. "It isn't…?"

"Is there a problem with us being here?" Ren asked calmly.

Russel ran a hand through his Mohawk. He wouldn't meet Nora's eyes but did look to Jaune for inspiration. He shrugged in return, unsure what this was about, let alone how to help. "It's not you," Russel eventually said. "I don't mind you two coming here. It's just… it might be best not to bring Cardin or Sky."

Nora seemed to sag in relief.

"Aren't they your friends?" Ren asked. "More so than us, I would imagine."

"They are, but that's why I'd rather they didn't know about this place. I know what my friends are like, okay? They'd… they'd cause issues." He sighed and ran his hand down his face. "I'd rather not deal with it. I don't want stuff like that to get in the way of work."

"Issues?" Nora asked.

"I-I've cleaned the mugs," a shy voice whispered. Velvet stood a little behind them, drying her hands on a towel. "Should I stack them on the back counter?"

The four of them looked to Velvet, who shied a little under the attention. Oddly, there was a sound of understanding from Nora and Ren, but before he could think any further on it, Russel stepped forwards to take command.

"No," he said. "Put them in the steam-cleaner instead."

"B-But I just cleaned them…"

"You clean them to get the loose dregs out so they don't stain, not to make them fit to serve drinks in again." Russel crossed his arms and adopted a lecturing tone, perhaps even without realising. "That's not enough by health and safety laws, though. You need to steam-clean them to kill off any bacteria. If you just put them in there without giving them a rinse first you'd just clog the machine or dry stains onto the mugs."

"Oh… I guess that makes sense. Should I turn it on?"

"No, we'll do that at the end of the day. There's enough crockery to last. Once you've put them away, do a round of the café and make sure there isn't anyone who needs anything."

"Okay." The faunus nodded and hurried off, her ears poking up behind her.

Russel mumbled something under his breath and shook his head. When he turned back to Nora and Ren it was to find them both watching him with obvious surprise on their faces. His eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Nothing," Nora said, grinning.

"Doesn't look like nothing."

"We were just surprised," Ren said. "You're not normally so nice in school, or quite so mentoring."

"Yeah well, this isn't school. This is work." Russel rolled his eyes and poured some espresso into a mug, then whipped it with milk and cream without looking. "It's my job to keep an eye on her and show her the ropes. That's nothing to do with Beacon or anything else."

"I suppose that's why you would rather we didn't bring Cardin here," Ren mused. "I could see why he might cause problems." He eyed Russel curiously. "Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I could have sworn you would have caused the same problems. I thought you and he were of a like mind."

"This is work," Russel repeated, a little harshly. He glared at Ren. "I leave my problems at the door. Now, if you'll excuse me." He stacked up the mugs on a tray and slipped away. The second he was gone he seemed to transform, smiling roguishly as he flourished the tray and set the drinks out for some middle-aged huntresses. They said something and laughed, no doubt poking fun at the young man, who to his credit took it with a laugh and a smile.

"Wow," Nora whispered. "It's like he's a different person. Ugh, it's a shame we can't bring Cardin here. If Russel can be like this, it might be enough to make Cardin nice, too. Maybe the coffee has drugs in it."

"He is our team leader, Nora. We shouldn't be speaking of him behind his back like that."

"Not much of a leader…"

"Nora," Ren warned.

"I get it, I get it. He's your partner. You've got to get on with him." She pouted. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Would another cake slice help?" Jaune asked, pushing it before her nose. "It's on the house. No drugs, either."

"Best – omf – place – um – _ever_."

As ever, people were easy enough to understand when good food was put before them. Marron's cakes were to die for. Ren seemed pleased with the reprieve as well and gave him a nod of thanks. He probably should have left it at that but his curiosity, especially about Russel, won out.

"I take it you're not on best terms with Russel's friend."

"You could say that," Ren said. "He is my partner in Beacon, not to mention the leader of our team. While I can't fault his drive and determination, he has a few personality traits that make him… difficult to get along with."

He knew about the partner and team rules in Beacon, of course. Team RWBY had told him all about it numerous times. Partners weren't necessarily expected to be friends, and Ruby and Weiss hadn't gotten on very well at first, but they usually did end up becoming close, or at least close enough to trust one another.

"I'm surprised you and Nora aren't partners, to be honest."

"It was our intent to team up during initiation. We made plans to find one another but Nora came across someone in trouble. She couldn't leave them to fend for themselves and stepped in to help, making eye-contact and becoming their partner. That would be our teammate Sky Lark." Ren sighed. "By the time I found her it was too late but we decided to travel together and ensure that we would at least be on the same team. When we reached our destination there was one other person there. Mine and Cardin's partnership was born of necessity."

"And you don't get on?"

"He and I aren't too bad. He's brash and assertive but I don't mind playing along to keep the peace when required, and I think he respects that. Nora, however, clashes with him on a daily basis."

"He's a meanie," Nora mumbled.

"Finish your food before talking," Ren chided.

She did so, audibly, and then continued. "He's the kind of guy who always has to think he's at the top of the food chain. He just doesn't like it that I don't roll over and do everything he says, especially when his orders are stupid. Ren should be the leader."

It didn't look like Ren agreed, but from their silence Jaune figured it was an old argument. He wasn't sure the problem was Ren at all as much as Nora and this Cardin fellow not getting on. Nora seemed friendly enough however, and even Russel had advised against bringing their team leader to the shop for fear of it causing issues – so he had to assume there was some truth to him being a difficult person.

All in all, he wasn't sure what to say, or if he should even _say_ anything. It wasn't really any of his business and he didn't even know the full story.

"How do you know Russel, anyway?" he asked instead. "You say he's a friend of your leader?"

"Yep!" It was Nora who answered. "He knew Cardin from before Beacon and came over to talk. I don't think he gets on with his team. Anyway, he looked pretty lonely so I decided to talk to him. He's nice."

"He's not very sociable," Ren said, amending his teammate's story a little. "I think some people are put off by that but he doesn't seem to be a bad person."

"He's just shy."

Ren and Jaune shared a long look at that, and then looked over to Russel, who was busy chatting away with a customer. He didn't look shy, and certainly hadn't sounded it when he'd confidently walked up and said he'd be the best person for the job.

Maybe it was just something Nora could see – or something she was imagining.

Velvet stepped back up before he could think any more on it. Still a little nervous but slowly getting into the swing of things, he showed her how to operate the tills and take money, and left her to get a rest doing that. Since many people paid their bills from the tables, it was an easy task and a chance for her to catch a break.

"Where's your teammate by the way?" he asked.

"Huh, Coco? She went off with those two girls from earlier."

Jaune froze. A bead of sweat ran down his brow.

"Oh," he whispered. "That's… nice…"

/-/

"This coffee is cold!"

"I-I'm sorry, ma'am, I'll-"

"My sister said her coffee is cold," Miltia hissed, leaning one elbow on the table. "You gonna do something about that or sit there looking stupid?"

"I'll replace it right away," the waiter said, snatching it back and rushing off. He couldn't have been any older than them, but in the face of two angry girls, and one vaguely amused one, he'd folded like a house of cards.

"You know, _he's_ not necessarily the enemy here," Coco pointed out, stirring her milkshake with a straw. "That guy probably doesn't even know Jaune, let alone hate him. It's the guy in charge that's causing the problems."

"You feeling sorry for the enemy, shades?" Miltia snapped. She was always the angry one of the sisters, Coco had come to realise. Her red dress seemed to match her personality since she was like to see red the second anyone questioned her.

"He may not be directly responsible, but he's still an enemy," Melanie cooed. Far more reasonable of the two, though no less cruel, Melanie smiled ominously. "It does no good to feel sorry for them when they're on the other side. You can feel bad for enemy soldiers in a war but you still have to kill them before they kill you."

"Don't go soft on us, bitch," Miltia echoed.

"I'm not going soft, sheesh." Coco rolled her eyes, not even offended at the little slur. She'd barely known the two for an hour or so and she'd already come to realise that `bitch` out of Miltia was as common as her saying `you` or `him`. "I'm just saying when you said you had a plan on how to get back at Sterling I thought it would be something a little less… petty…"

"Baby steps," Melanie said. "Let's not jump in straight away. We need information before we strike."

"This is a scouting mission, then?"

"Scouting mission, formal declaration of war… a little bit of one, a little bit of the other."

"Those two are very different things."

"Depends how badly the scouting goes." Melanie paused. "Or how well the declaration goes. Anyway, as much as I'd like to just trash the place, that's not going to be an option."

"Yeah," Coco agreed. "That's kind of against the law."

"Yeah," Miltia said, ignoring Coco entirely. "Jaune would whine at us."

"Exactly," Melanie agreed.

Coco stared at the two sisters with a raised eyebrow. Come to think of it she didn't really know much about them, not that such had stopped her making friends with people in the past. They were tough, antagonistic, bitchy, but kind of fun in a banter sort of way, not to mention they'd been hilarious in Jaune's place. But yeah, they were joking about breaking the law, right? They had to be.

"H-Here's your coffee, ma'am," the man said, returning with Melanie's drink. She sipped it and hummed, leaving him on the verge of panic as she smacked her lips together.

"It will suffice, for now. Can I speak to your manager?"

The man panicked. "I-Is that really necessary? I did what I could to-"

"It's not about you," Melanie sighed.

"Sheesh," Miltia agreed. "Talk about arrogant, thinking everything is about you."

"We just want to talk with Alexander Sterling," Coco said, interrupting the two before they could really give the poor guy an aneurysm. "It's not to get you in trouble or anything."

"Mr Sterling? I'm afraid he doesn't work here. He's the Regional Director. I could get the Manager of this store but that's all it would be. If there's a problem here, she can sort it out for you…"

"A problem with this store specifically?" Melanie asked.

"Yes. She's just the store manager."

"No, it's fine. Can you tell us where we might find Sterling?"

"I-I'm not sure. I'm just a waiter." The man continued to wring his hands together. "He comes down every month or so to monitor process and yell- I mean criticise any mistakes we make, but I don't ever see him otherwise and I don't know where he works. I'm not even sure what he does on a normal day."

The three girls shared a quick look. Their first port of call had failed. Melanie nodded and turned back to the man, handing him a small – an infinitesimal, in fact – tip. It might have been enough to buy him a tenth of a can of soda. "Take some advice from me, kid. Find yourself a new job before you're sucked into the war."

"War…" The man blinked dumbly and looked around. There were no gunshots, Grimm, or even people shouting. "What war?"

"The coffee wars," Miltia said, nodding.

"Um… I don't understand."

"Neither do I," Coco admitted.

"You will one day, Barry," Melanie said, reading his nametag. "Come on, girls. We've got places to be."

"Actually, the name is Billy. It says so on my-"

"Don't care." Miltia pushed past him.

Coco followed. "Sorry Barry," she said. "Bye Barry."

The three of them met up again outside, the Malachites waiting for her, though not without an impatient foot-tapping show from Miltia. Well, that had been a bust, even if Coco wasn't really sure what they'd been after in the first place. What were they going to do, threaten the guy in charge of Café Prime until he agreed to stop being a dick to Jaune?

"So much for that plan," she said. "What now?"

"We can try and find out more about this Sterling guy," Melanie said. "People like him, rich people in power, always have little things they like to keep hidden. We'll find the skeletons in his closet."

"And how do you intend to manage that?"

Miltia smiled cockily. "We have our ways."

"I feel like I don't want to know, but at the same time I kinda do. You two aren't Huntresses are you?"

"Pft. Do we _look_ like huntresses?"

Coco looked at the two of them, dressed in bright and clashing colours, skirts, heels, and then focused on their weapons – which would have been ridiculously complicated for just about anyone without extensive training to use. "Yes. Yes, you do."

"It's a grey area," Melanie explained. "You probably don't want to know all the details."

"This is a `for your own good` kind of thing, isn't it?"

"Yeeep," Miltia drawled.

Coco sighed. "Does Jaune know?"

"Yeeep."

Great. So, she was technically, maybe, sort of, out with two girls who may or may not have been criminals. Well, at least if she didn't ask she couldn't lie if anyone asked her if she'd known or not. _And to think I just wanted to help Velvet get a job. Sheesh._ _Since when was coffee so complicated?_

"We're not going to do anything _illegal_ to this guy," Melanie said. "Like Mil said, Jaune would whine like a pussy if we did. We're just going to hit him below the belt and try to help in our own way. This whole dress-up thing is cute, but do you really think he'll be able to outperform a chain that's crushed every other coffee shop that tried to open in Vale?"

"Jaune's good, but he's not _that_ good," Miltia said.

"And if it goes down, so does Velvet's job," Coco finished. She could get work elsewhere but she seemed to get on with Jaune, and Russel, weirdly enough. Not to mention Fox and Yatsu loved the place and even she found it pretty cool. Those corporate monsters would treat Velvet like trash if she tried to work at Café Prime, too. If they even hired faunus. Conditions weren't always fair, especially for those deemed _inhuman_.

"Alright, fine," she said. "As long as we're not going anything that'll get me in too much trouble, I'm down with it. No involving Velvet, though. She's off-limits to anything you two have planned."

"Eh, Jaune wouldn't allow it if we tried. Still, good to have you on board, shades." Melanie appeared on her left, hooking an arm through hers. Miltia took the right, and Coco had the strangest feeling she'd just sold her soul to the devil. "Why don't you come with us for a little planning session, hm? I know a guy whose job it is to know things."

"What, are we going to visit the mafia or something?"

Melanie and Miltia burst out laughing – and continued to laugh as they dragged her away. It would be a while later she'd realise why, and slap herself in the face once she did. By that point it would be too late. Coco had joined yet another team named Coffee… except this one was involved in a war against something other than Grimm.

/-/

"Ten, carry the two – add it to the last page…" Jaune ran through some mental calculations, failed, drew out a calculator and ran through them again. The number on the screen flashed and he jotted it down.

"Is that good?" Velvet asked, leaning over his shoulder. It occurred to him that his employees shouldn't be quite so trusted to know every little thing about the diner, but he couldn't bring himself to complain. He was too busy smiling.

"It worked. It actually worked."

"I figured it had," Russel said, loosing another button on his pirate's shirt. He'd just set up the steamer and his skin was damp and flushed. "We were busier than we've been since I started." Even he couldn't quite hold his pride, despite how he tried. "I guess that'll show those guys it takes more than price to sell coffee."

Velvet clapped her hands together, shaking with excitement. Even if it was her first day she'd done well enough, not really excelling but meeting every challenge with enthusiasm. Sure, she hadn't been as good as Russel but he was pleased with how she'd done. Mostly, he was just pleased with how many people seemed to respond well to her.

"I guess this means we'll be keeping the themed weekends going," Jaune said. "We'll have to think of more. If you two have any ideas before next week feel free to let me know. Make sure it's something you'll both be comfortable with."

"We could do a movies theme," Russel suggested. "Plenty of options there."

"We'll come up with ideas later." Jaune put the booklet down and let out a relieved sigh. They'd really done it. He'd have to call Team RWBY and let them know, especially since it had been Ruby's idea. "Velvet, why don't you go upstairs first and get changed?" he suggested. "We'll wait until you're done."

She nodded and rushed off, still practically skipping after her first day on the job – and the sizeable amount of tip money she'd gotten to take away with it. Combined with her wages, she'd done well for herself.

It was Russel who wiped the smile from Jaune's face.

"You realise Café Prime aren't going to stop here, right?"

"Yeah, I figured. He didn't sound like the kind of guy used to being beaten."

"We've not really beaten him either," Russel said. "We've bounced back from what he did yesterday with the free drinks, but they're still the biggest place in Vale. I doubt they'll back down just because we dressed up like pirates. There are four other working days, and I think dressing up for all of them will get old."

He was probably right. Even if the weekends were where the real profit was, they still relied on what they earned during the week to keep the place going. They couldn't have every day as an event or dress up or the customers would get bored, not to mention Russel and Velvet would burn out.

"I guess I'll have to find some other way to stand out."

Russel nodded. The moment of awkwardness stretched between them, before the rough teen linked both hands behind his head and sighed. "Well, it's not like we need to deal with it now. This worked and we should feel good about that, right?"

"Right." Jaune smiled. "You know, you were good with Velvet today. Better than I was at training her, and I'm the boss."

"I've done it before."

"I can tell. You were patient with her."

"Doesn't do to be rough," Russel grunted. His eyes seemed to say he knew where the conversation was going and to leave it. "I'm just doing my job, boss. There's nothing more to it. She and I aren't friends and probably won't ever be."

"Do you not have a lot of friends?"

"I have enough."

"It's just that Team RWBY seemed surprised at how nice you were," he explained. "Hell, even those two who came by today were caught off-guard."

"It's customer service. It wouldn't do much good for me to be a miserable bastard to people looking to relax and have some coffee, would it? Besides, you're paying me to do a good job, not mope around."

"Hm, I guess. Those friends of yours were nice today."

"They're not really my friends," Russel sighed. "And by _friends_ , do you mean _friend_? I saw you looking at Nora. See something you like?"

Jaune's cheeks heated up and he shook his head wildly.

"You could try your luck if you like," he went on. "Far as I can tell, the two of them really aren't together like that."

"L-Let's not be crazy. I'm no good with women."

"Not sure she counts as a woman, to be honest. That girl's crazy. Practically forces herself on me every time she sees me, and no, not in that way. I'm practically her second _bestie_ and I didn't even get a say in it." He shot Jaune a smug smile. "I can put in a good word for you if you like, though. Who knows, maybe she'll stop molesting me with friendship and start molesting you with something else."

"N-No, it's fine."

"Ren wouldn't say no. Hell, he might even carry you to the altar himself."

Jaune's tongue twisted in his mouth and he stammered uselessly. It was only when Russel burst out laughing that he realised it was a joke, and even then his cheeks continued to burn. He couldn't help it. She'd been pretty and friendly, the perfect qualities for a girl. Weiss was a classical beauty, while Blake was mysterious and Yang was the kind of school heart-throb you looked at and never considered possible. That was what they were all like, but Nora had taken one look at him and basically treated him like a friend.

But he had a feeling that was just the kind of person she was, especially if she'd gone out of her way to befriend Russel.

"It seems like fun," Jaune mused. Russel made a questioning sound, so he explained. "Being on a team, I mean. Having people you can be friends with like that. I always wondered what it'd be like, especially living with people for four years."

It was a part of the Beacon experience he'd never get, but every time he saw Team RWBY together he thought about it. Those four girls were so different, so unique, yet they fit together perfectly despite, and perhaps because of, their differences. He had to wonder if he could have been like that, had he been given the chance.

"It's not as great as it sounds," Russel said. It snapped Jaune out of his daydream. "It sounds like hot shit, but that's only if it works out. Nora and Ren aren't even partners yet they spent the whole day together without their team. Doesn't that tell you something?" He sighed. "Things don't always work out like they're supposed to."

"You don't like your team, do you?"

Russel shrugged. "It's a team. It's alright."

"But you don't get on with your teammates."

"I don't get on with my partner," he corrected. "Teammates aren't bad. They stick to themselves kind of like those two from earlier. It's probably things between me an' my partner which makes it awkward but there's nothing I can do about it. She won't even talk to me."

"Have you tried talking to her?"

Russel shot him a look so disappointed it made him wince. "I'm not an idiot, man. Of course I have. When we first hooked up we talked, we talked when we were fighting, even talked when we were put on a team. Didn't last, though. Before I knew it she'd decided she was too good for trash like me. I _tried_ talking to her. I _gave_ her a chance."

A nervous cough interrupted them.

"I-I'm finished upstairs," Velvet whispered, not quite meeting either of their eyes. She must have heard everything.

"I'll get changed," Russel said, brushing past her. She stiffened, and he paused a metre or so away. He sighed audibly – and when he spoke, his voice was unbelievably gruff. "You didn't do bad today. Keep it up."

"Eh-?" Velvet spun on the spot, but he was already gone.

"I'm sorry about that," Jaune said, stepping up to her. "I don't think he's mad. I just pushed on stuff that wasn't really any of my business. Anyway, you did great today. How was it?"

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," she said, flushing a little. There was no telling if it was imagination or not but her ears seemed to be a little perkier. "I was nervous at first but the people here were really nice."

He laughed. "Did you expect them to be monsters?"

"I thought they'd… n-no, never mind." She shook her head and smiled again. "They were mostly huntsmen, weren't they?"

"Yeah. We don't get as many normal folk nowadays. I hope that won't be a problem."

"No, I always get on with huntsmen more. They're usually a lot more understanding."

It wasn't exactly her he'd meant to ask that about. He'd meant it in terms of the business being okay to cut off half their potential customers like that, but it was still a little telling that Velvet thought he'd said it differently. Did she have problems with people? No one had seemed put off by her working here, but she'd definitely been nervous about something.

She headed off before Russel came back down, eager to get back to Beacon and meet up with her team for some late-night training. A few minutes after she'd gone, Russel returned, his outfit folded in his hands.

Jaune confronted him before he could leave.

"Look, Russel, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. It wasn't any of my business."

"It's fine."

"Is it?" Jaune sighed. "I know I'm your boss but I'm also your age. You can tell me if I mess up on something, otherwise I'm going to keep doing it until you get angry and leave."

Russel sighed and ran a hand through his hair again. "I'm not pissed at you," he eventually said. "Working here's fine, and so is Velvet. It's just school stuff, okay? I don't like bringing personal things onto the job."

"And you don't want me bringing them up, either," Jaune guessed,

"Pretty much. I'm cool with stuff on Beacon, even on Nora – annoying as she is. But leave my team out of it, okay? Things are… they're complicated."

He winced. "I was just trying to help."

"I know." Russel patted his arm and grinned. "That's why I'm not angry, not at you anyway. You're doing fine, boss. I'll be the first to tell you if you mess it up. Keep going as you are and we'll be fine."

Jaune nodded.

"See you later, Russel."

"See ya, boss."

/-/

Russel pushed open the door to his dorm with one foot, idly checking through the lien he'd earned. Pay came every week on the Sunday and all tips belonged to them as well, a nice change from the places he'd worked before. Two of his teammates looked up and rattled off a distracted greeting, one he returned with a grunt and a nod. His eyes flashed to the remaining one, however, his partner, who sat alone on her bed.

Pyrrha Nikos, the invincible girl. Or maybe he should have called her the invisible girl. Her beautiful looks and vibrant hair hardly made up for the fact she refused to speak to them, let alone interact. He'd given up on her already but something made him hesitate.

 _Fucking nosey co-workers,_ he thought to himself. With a heavy sigh he turned in her direction.

"I'll be working tomorrow afternoon as usual." He stuck his hands in his pockets and didn't miss how Pyrrha stiffened. "You don't need me for anything, do you?"

"No. I don't think so."

Russel waited for more – anything, really. Gods, he'd been thrilled to have her on his team at first, and it had looked like she hadn't been against the idea either, but that dried up the second he tried to talk to her. It looked like that hadn't changed.

"You get up to anything today?"

She didn't look up from the text book she was reading. "I trained."

He waited again. She didn't expand on it, nor look him in the eye even once. His other teammates didn't say anything either, they'd long since given up on the resident celebrity deigning to speak to normal people like them. "Forget it," he growled, turning towards the bathroom and a warm shower. "Don't know why I even tried."

It was probably Nora's fault, the annoying girl.

As he left, and as Pyrrha was cast once more into silence, the book came up to press against her face. The Invincible Girl shuddered and gripped the cover harder. No one on her team noticed the moment of weakness.

No one on her team cared to.

* * *

 **You know, since I've been accused of bashing in several of my fics lately I'll head this off by saying that no, I'm not bashing Pyrrha. There is** _ **obviously**_ **more going on here than meets the eye. That should be so obvious this isn't even a spoiler. Anyway, yeah, the teams are different – remember that. I know some people at first asked why they even would be, but one has to recall that Pyrrha sought Jaune out, altering her trajectory to find him – and then they went to the cave together on Jaune's suggestion, fleeing the Deathstalker and meeting Ren and Nora as a result.**

 **Without all that, there is potential for initiation to have changed drastically. Pyrrha just lands wherever she lands and plays it normally, and since there isn't a Deathstalker to rush them forward, they arrive at the ruins a little later and miss Team RWBY and Ren, Nora. As such, she gets thrown on a team with two other late-comers, who I haven't really named yet since the show doesn't provide too many first-year names.**

 **Please no PM me hundreds of OC's. Their role is minor, minor, minor, so I'll just make up some names.**

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 **Next Chapter: 30** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	13. Chapter 13

**Nearly the 8** **th** **of Feb, nearly the end of this work event – nearly a time when I'll finally be able to put actual hours into chapters. I cannot wait. It's just ruining my punctuality! I've had PM's asking me if I'm okay or not injured because my fanfics are being released an hour or two late. I'm not sure whether to appreciate the concern or feel irritated that I've gained a routine so specific I'm becoming known for it.  
**

 **I need to be unpredictable, mysterious, dangerous... Quick, I'll write an edgy author's note! Yeah, that'll attract the ladies. No way this'll look like the ravings of a mad man.**

 **Update: Re-uploading chapter as some have complained they can't see it for some reason. Hope it's fixed now.**

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 **Chapter 13**

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The Invincible Girl; that was what they called her. It was a proud title, a deserved title, and one that she'd earned through years of blood, sweat, and tears. It was the crowning moment of her career and something her fans had cheered from the stands as she stood over the defeated forms of her opponents. It was also a name she hated with a passion.

Pyrrha was the first out of another lesson with Miss Goodwitch, pushing past various people who stared at her and whispered in awe, jealousy, and sometimes pure spite. Others watched in admiration, and she wasn't sure if that was worse. It made her feel more than she was - more than she wanted to be. At least those who were jealous didn't feign friendship.

"You just had to go all-out," she hissed, angrier at herself than anyone else. "Would it really have been that hard to throw a fight, or at least act like it was difficult?" Her hands clenched into fists and her breath came out laboured. She rounded a corner and vanished from view of her classmates, whining through gritted teeth.

She'd won again.

Not that it was a rare occurrence. She won all her bouts, no matter who she went against. Even without using her Semblance she was able to win, using speed, skill, or critical analysis to find the holes in their defence. Winning was nothing new to her, nothing special, and maybe it would have stayed that way if she'd just let it. She'd crossed the line, however, the line between `good` and `invincible`. After all, most first-years couldn't beat an entire team on their own.

She'd only accepted Miss Goodwitch's suggestion because she saw an opportunity to fix her problem. If everyone thought she was unbeatable, then surely by losing they'd realise she wasn't. That seemed an easy option – and Team CRSN weren't exactly a _bad_ team per se. They just had no teamwork to speak of.

It was less like she'd faced a team and more like fighting two pairs who were working together but kept getting in one another's way. That still might have been enough to beat her if she'd let them, or just taken it easy, but beyond everything, beyond even their problems, the ultimate mistake was hers and hers alone.

Pyrrha didn't like to lose.

It was a bit of a weird thing and her agent assured her she never quite gave off the image of being an overly competitive person, but then again, her agent was paid to keep her happy, so she _would_ say that. Either way, she hadn't become a championship fighter by having no interest in fighting, and the reason she'd improved so much, so fast, was because she had a competitive streak a mile wide. What kind of professional athlete didn't? It was pretty much a requirement.

So, she'd fought as hard as she could, and she'd won against an entire team of her peers, and in that one small motion destroyed any chance she had of her classmates seeing her as such. How could she be a peer to them when her skills were peerless? It just didn't work.

And her partner's face – oh Gods. Russel had been watching with her team of course, and he'd even clapped for her victory as he was expected to. There'd been a certain detachment to it all, however. No words had been exchanged between them as she returned to stand beside him, and that awkward silence carried over to her other teammates, who sensed the mood and quickly chattered among themselves. He'd been happy to be her partner once. He'd been friendly and sarcastic but smiled while they fought together in the Emerald Forest. There was none of that now.

Not for the first time Pyrrha wondered if things could have been different. Not for the first time she wondered if she'd made a mistake coming to Vale and Beacon.

She needed a break from it – just for a little while. She was the first to reach their dorm and she quickly rummaged through her wardrobe, finding a black coat and pulling it on, slipping her long red hair into the back of it. She'd have opted for a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses as well, but those weren't exactly inconspicuous. She hesitated before she left, wondering if she ought to leave a note explaining that she was going out.

Would anyone even bother to read it? Would they care what it said? Probably not. The door slammed shut behind her and she was away.

/-/

Monday was a quieter day for Jaune's, and that was a welcome relief after the hustle and bustle of the weekend. Russel wasn't scheduled to wait today, and Velvet had already helped in the morning both with organising supplies and bringing down the nautical-themed decorations. She'd left before opening, however, to head back to Beacon and get ready for lessons. So it was that the day passed relatively peacefully, with not even a whiff of a threat from Café Prime to speak of. Even the Malachite sisters seemed subdued, tired and weary after a late night of partying. They'd mustered the barest of teasing for him, but their hearts hadn't been in it.

At any other time Jaune might have been worried about it all, but the peace and quiet was welcome and he simply took advantage of the chance to serve guests himself and interact a little more with each of them. Beacon would be out soon, but Team RWBY was behind enough on homework as it was and wouldn't be coming down. To be fair, apart from Weiss, they probably couldn't afford to be stopping be every day. They were only students.

"Peaceful day," one customer, a huntsman of thirty years, said. "It's fun to see the next generation out and about, but there's something to be said for a quiet drink as well."

Jaune laughed as he put the plate with a slice of cake down before the man. "I couldn't agree more. My legs could certainly use the rest."

"And your new employees. They worked hard, the poor things."

"I know. Don't worry; they're paid well – salary _and_ tips." He'd heard of some places which skimped on one or the other, or who paid little and expected the rest to be made up by gratuity – even some who took a percentage of the tips earned and kept them for the company. It seemed so unfair that he couldn't bring himself to consider it. Tips were for the person who did the serving, or maybe for the chefs as well in a restaurant, but he didn't have any.

He moved over to serve another customer after, idly chatting with the huntress as she asked about the local news. She'd been on a hunt apparently and was a little out of the loop. He filled her in as best he could and provided a local newspaper, before he was interrupted by the sudden open and close of the diner's door. The bell tinkled afterward but it was the slap and slam of someone entering quickly, and sealing it behind them, which caught everyone's attention.

The person responsible stared back at them with wide green eyes, before she coughed and stepped away from the door. Someone shouted something outside – and her shoulders stiffened as several shapes ran by the window. Everyone continued to stare.

Jaune strode forward to stop it, cocking his head to the side and smiling. "Table for one?"

"Please," the woman said, halfway between relief and a plea for help. He led her to a table a little to the side, tucked away and out of view, and as she settled down into it the other customers decided it wasn't really as exciting as it seemed and got back to their own things.

"Would you like a cup of coffee?" Jaune offered. "Maybe some cake?"

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't… I mean, can I see a menu? I didn't really mean to…" She broke off with a sigh. "Sorry. I'm a little winded."

"Looks like it," he laughed, offering her a small menu. He nodded to the window, where the people had run by. "Those friends of yours? At least I hope they're friends. I wouldn't want to imagine people chasing a girl for any other reason."

She seemed startled by the question but caught herself quickly. "Oh, they meant no harm. They… I guess they wanted to talk to me, but I wanted a bit of time to myself. They won't cause any problems here. I promise."

"It's fine. I'll leave you to your menu, miss. If you need me just feel free to wave."

/-/

Pyrrha sighed and looked down to the menu as the waiter left. Well, that hadn't _quite_ gone as she'd hoped it would. It was probably too much to hope that no one would recognise her as she walked around the streets. Maybe sunglasses and a hat wouldn't have been a bad idea after all. It had been a small group of girls far younger than her, maybe students from Signal, but whatever the case she'd not been prepared for the sudden attention one girl crying out her name brought. The girl probably hadn't meant it. Or, well, she _definitely_ hadn't meant to start some kind of stampede and hadn't even been involved.

In the end it was an eclectic mix of people who gave chase, determined for either autographs, souvenirs, or maybe even to tell her their sorry stories and beg for money – she hated those encounters the most. She could never tell whether they were genuine or not, even if her agent assured her they never were. She felt awful when she turned them down and it ruined any chance of improving her mood.

 _I'm glad I managed to lose them here,_ she thought, glancing subtly around the interior of the diner. It was a small and cosy place that didn't have too much custom, but that worked to her advantage. She'd spend a little lien here, if only as thanks for saving her. She was also grateful the waiter hadn't made a scene or asked her why she was running away from people or hiding here.

Her cheeks flushed as she imagined what kind of answer she'd have to give, and she buried herself in reading the menu, so she wouldn't have to imagine it. The menu itself was quite extensive, and even included a few options she missed from Mistral, along with a range of cakes and pastries. She raised her eyes to look for the blonde waiter and caught him behind the till talking to a middle-aged huntsman. The huntsman laughed and paid for something he took away in a paper bag, waving back over one shoulder as he left.

Pyrrha's hand hovered before her to catch the waiter's attention when he was done, and it didn't take him long to notice and come over. As he did she noticed something she'd missed before, the fact that his left arm was in a sling.

He smiled as he came over. "Sorry for the wait, miss. Ready to order?"

"Can I have a Mistral Latte with cream?"

"Sure." He didn't jot it down, and probably couldn't with only one arm. "Would you like anything to go with that?"

"A slice of strawberry and chocolate cake, please."

"Not a problem. I'll be right back."

Pyrrha watched as the man went back behind the counter and began to ready her order, navigating his little kitchen unit despite his disability. She appreciated his professionalism, not just in the kitchen but in not acting out when he served her. There were plenty of people who tried to not let her fame bother them, but it wasn't always easy. She respected them more than she did those who squealed or talked at her – not to her, but _at_ her – like she was some kind of icon. Still, he managed it more than most did. It helped her to relax.

 _Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all._ A little time and distance away from the stress of Beacon and her team couldn't be a bad thing. Well, as long as no more rabid fans came in, but those in the diner looked to be of the huntsman and huntress persuasion, and they'd always been a little less enamoured with her skills. After all, most of them could probably bend her over backwards before she landed a solid blow on them. She was brilliant for her age, but she was still seventeen. Professional huntsmen were on a different level. With her Semblance she might have been considered the equal of one, but she never liked to use it, at least not in friendly spars. It felt too much like cheating since almost everyone used metal weapons.

It wasn't, of course. Her agent had made that clear time and time again. Everyone used _their_ Semblances against her, so there was no harm in her returning the favour…

It was just that most people's Semblances weren't so much a direct counter as hers. So long as someone wielded a metal weapon, she could ensure they never struck her. It wasn't even a fair fight at that point. It hardly helped that it was an ironic ability at best, the skill to attract cold and unfeeling metal when she couldn't even do the same with other people. _And here comes my bad mood again,_ she thought, sighing. Vale had made her into some sort of misery-guts.

A plate clinking down before her helped alleviate it, and the scent of rich chocolate. "Here you go," the waiter said, placing a saucer down beside it and a mug on top. "I hope you enjoy."

Pyrrha smiled. "I'm sure I wi-"

A shatter of porcelain cut her off, and her head snapped around as she looked for the source. A young woman stared back, eyes wide, and for a second Pyrrha panicked – before she realised the gaze was aimed a little higher, up towards the waiter.

"I'm so sorry," the woman apologised. "It slipped."

"Don't worry about it," the waiter laughed. "I'll come clean it up." He glanced to Pyrrha and winced. "Sorry about that. Enjoy your meal." He rushed off a second later for a broom and a dustpan, but when he brought it to the woman she took it from him and started to do it herself despite his protests. Pyrrha tried not to be too nosey, but they were so close that she couldn't help but listen in.

"You don't need to do that," the waiter said.

"Don't be silly Jaune. You have a broken arm and I'm the one who made this mess. Let me deal with it."

"I'll get you another coffee-"

"Thanks. If you put it on the bill, I'll cover it." The woman looked up when he hesitated, and her eyes narrowed. "Don't even think about making it a free one. This is my fault and I'm not so hard up that I can't afford two cups of coffee." She shooed him away and rolled her eyes.

So, his name was Jaune. It was oddly familiar, though she wasn't sure why. Had someone in Beacon mentioned it before? He busies around behind the counter, made the woman some more coffee, and then apologised as if it were his faulty when he took back the dustpan and brush.

The huntress wouldn't have it, however, and Pyrrha smiled to herself as he was made to accept that the fault was hers. It was a short and funny scene, but it spoke a lot about him, and how much the customers seemed to like him. Several others laughed quietly, but soon the noise was replaced with the dull hum of conversation and the papery sound of someone flicking through the local news.

The cake was delicious and warm, the latte a perfect accompaniment. Pyrrha hummed to herself as she cut into the slice with the side of her fork and leaned forward to taste it, savouring the texture for a long moment before swallowing. It was wonderful. _This is the kind of place I always imagined coming to with friends,_ she thought with a hint of melancholy. Perhaps her ideas of friendship had been tainted a little by TV and misconception, but she could well imagine a team of four huddled around a table laughing, and she among them, no more and no less than any other.

"Is something wrong?" a voice beside her asked.

"Hm?" Pyrrha looked up to the waiter and waved one hand. "No, sorry, everything here is wonderful. I'm just lost in my thoughts."

He nodded. "I tend to do that as well, but that was before I was busy all the time." He looked around the diner to see if anyone needed him. "Nowadays I keep myself distracted. It works."

"Thanks for the advice, but I can't ignore my problems like that." She hadn't meant to sound so snappy, but she did, and he winced. "Not that I'm saying you are-" she tried to say.

"Ah, you're not wrong, though. I… well, you're from Beacon, right?"

"How can you tell?"

"You didn't look confused at the weapons rack." Jaune pointed to the wall where numerous mecha-shift weapons were hung. "Most normal people aren't sure what to make of it but you didn't even notice. You're also around the right age."

"It was a good guess," she said. "I'm a first year."

"Oh, I know a bunch of first years. Do you know Team RWBY?"

The name brought an image to her mind of four girls of varying colours and personalities, each meshed together into a team that honestly seemed the most close-knit of all in Beacon. Weiss Schnee was in there too, a person she'd done her best to avoid ever since the heiress made a bad impression on her. Weiss was happy now, it seemed. She smiled an honest smile unlike the one she'd shared when trying to recruit her for a power-duo. Pyrrha felt a surge of envy but squashed it down. "I know of them but I'm not familiar with them. I don't have all that many friends in Beacon, I'm afraid."

His face fell. "Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's fine." It wasn't. "What were you saying before?" He saw the attempt to change the subject and indulged her.

"I was asking about Beacon because I wanted to go there too. I had my weapon and everything, but… well…"

"You didn't make it through initiation?" she asked, trying to remember his face. There had been so many people and a lot of them hadn't stood out. Jaune cringed as she inspected him and looked away with a tired sigh.

"Not exactly. I didn't even make it _to_ initiation."

"Oh…" Oh, indeed. Pyrrha sucked some breath between her teeth and wished she could take the thoughtless words back. He'd been rejected before that, even. "I'm… uh… I'm sorry for that. I'm sure you would have passed if you had the chance."

"I doubt that. Anyway, I guess I'm ignoring the problem as well in a way. When I failed to get into Beacon I was too embarrassed to go home and admit my failure, so I opened this place up instead."

"You own this place?"

He nodded proudly. "Yep. Started it less than a month ago." His smile faltered. "I did it because I was too afraid to tell my parents I'd failed. They didn't know I was coming to Vale to be a huntsman, so going back would have exposed me. Mom and Dad never really wanted me in that kind of life."

"But you ran away to try anyway? That takes a lot of courage."

"Or stupidity." he joked, and the smile came easily to her. "Yeah, I definitely wasn't good enough to be a huntsman so maybe this is for the best. I'd have died in initiation for sure."

"I'm sure you would have been okay."

"I… I don't even have my aura unlocked."

The words she'd been about to say died in her mouth. It should have been obvious in hindsight. If he'd had his aura, then his arm might already have healed by now or wouldn't have been broken in the first place. It also gave a dark turn to her thoughts, since if he'd been allowed to attempt the initiation without it, he'd have surely been killed when they were launched off the platforms. He was only alive because the headmaster rejected him.

"Oh, I see," she said, not seeing very much how a man without aura could hope to be a huntsman but feeling that saying it would be rude. "Well, at least things are going well for you now, right?"

He smiled, much to her relief. "They are. Things are awesome now."

"That's grand. See, you didn't need to be a huntsman to be happy."

"I know. That's why I wanted to share the story with you," his smile grew a little. "Whatever is bothering you could be the same thing, you know. Sometimes you need to take a different look at things."

It could be, but it wasn't. Pyrrha's smile held but only because she forced it to. He, Jaune, was trying his best to help her and she recognised that. He really was a nice person. Sadly, she wasn't sure if going through four years of Beacon friendless was a good idea, and she was sure he would have said as much if he knew the full story. Still, his advice was kindly given, so she smiled and nodded.

"Perhaps you're right. Thank you for the advice, Jaune." She finished the final sip of her latte and put the mug down. The coast was almost certainly clear, and she still wanted to have a walk around Vale before it got dark. "Would it be possible for me to have the bill?" she asked, patting her pocket. Her hand froze.

"Sure," Jaune said, oblivious to her panic. "I'll just go grab it."

Pyrrha's hands flew about her person the moment he looked away. It had to be there. Surely not. She couldn't have… Her panic mounted as he reached the counter and began to tally it up, and she shoved a hand so far into her pocket her fingers almost poked out the other side. There was nothing. She'd forgotten her purse.

Her stomach dropped as Jaune returned, and her humiliation burned brightly as she dipped her head and shrink into her seat. "I – um… well, I…"

It wasn't hard for him to see there was a problem. "Is something wrong?"

"I may have… not brought any lien with me." The words were stammered and hesitant and when she saw his eyes widen, she blurted out, "I'm not trying to say I won't pay! I can cover it easily, but I… I was in such a rush that I forgot my purse. I promise I'll bring some back to repay you," she said. "I-If you can wait, that is?"

It had to be one of her most embarrassing moments to date. No fight had ever made her feel so nervous, and if his expression was anything to go by, he felt much the same way. _I'm such an idiot. Why did I have to be so distracted today? What kind of moron forgets to bring any lien with them?_ The worst part was that she wasn't even sure what to do, and obviously neither did Jaune. He'd only been in business for a month at most; this was probably the first time it had ever happened.

"Ah," he said, unsure and lost. "I suppose that's okay? As long as you come back, I mean."

"I will," she assured, nodding quickly. "I promise. My head has been in the clouds all day. I'm not normally so forgetful." She rummaged in her pocket for something to give him but the only thing she had was her scroll and she needed that for getting back to Beacon. An idea came to her at the last second. "You know a team in my year, right? If I don't come back, then you can tell them my name and they'll be able to tell the teachers." It wouldn't come to that, obviously. She had half a mind to run home and come straight back, except that the Bullheads wouldn't run that long. "I'll come back tomorrow with the lien, I promise, but if I don't then your friends could get me in trouble."

"I don't really want that…"

"It won't happen," she said, again relieved for his understanding nature. She definitely would pay, and with a huge tip as an apology, too. Darn it, if this was Mistral then she could have had her Agent wire him money directly. "I'll come back tomorrow. I only mean you could tell them as proof of my honesty. I'll return the moment lessons end."

"I suppose that's okay."

"Really!?"

"Yeah." He scratched his head and glanced away. "You seem pretty honest and I've had nothing but good encounters with Beacon students. I know some of the teachers too, so I'm sure you'd pay if you had your purse with you."

The relief was crushing. Pyrrha almost collapsed then and there but managed a strained smile instead. "I really am sorry," she repeated. "Like I said before, I'm not normally so scatter-brained. I'll bring you the money."

"It's fine, it's fine. You did look like you were lost in thought. At least you didn't run off without paying." His expression became a little more relaxed and he laughed. "I guess this is as weird for you as it is me. I was bound to have someone forget a purse or wallet one day; I just never thought about what I'd do when it happens. Don't worry about it. What's your name, though?" he asked. "It's just so I know how much you owe."

Pyrrha nodded. "Sure, that's fine." She followed him to the counter where he pulled out a little ledger full of details. "It's Pyrrha," she said, and then held the ledger for him when he struggled to write her name one-handed. "Pyrrha Nikos."

"How do I spell that?"

"Like this," she said, spelling her name letter by letter. He nodded and took it down, and then wrote the price of the cake and latte beside it. Pyrrha memorised it and silently promised to bring twice as much to make up for it. "Thank you for this, Jaune. You'll see me tomorrow, I promise."

Some other customers interrupted her as they came up to order, and Pyrrha took the chance to slip out while he was distracted and release a long breath she'd been holding in. That had gone better than she'd expected but still, the embarrassment! She wanted to plant her face in her hands and scream but a few people were already looking her way, many with the tell-tale signs of someone who had seen a familiar face and were currently trying to figure out who it was. She took that as her cue to leave, slipping away before they could realise.

 _That place was quite nice,_ she thought, feeling a little cheer return to her now that the misunderstanding was cleared up. _Jaune was nice too, and he didn't seem bothered by my fame at all._ Heck, it almost felt like he didn't know…

Pyrrha's feet stopped. She glanced back, teeth biting down on her lower lip. He'd asked for her name… and even been unsure how to spell it. Even when she'd given it there'd been no reaction from him, no recognition or even a widening of the eyes. Had he… had he not realised who she was? If so, then when she gave him her name he should have recognised it.

 _Could he really have no idea who I am?_ She looked back again, and this time there was no hiding the weak, tentative, smile which spread over her face. It was a longshot. He might have just been polite, or maybe she was desperate. Either way, hope would only make the pain worse if it was shattered. If. A girl didn't become a championship fighter without being willing to take a few risks.

"I'm already coming back tomorrow to pay him. I'll ask him then."

And maybe his advice hadn't been so bad after all. Ignoring the problem wouldn't make it go away but she'd come to Vale to find friends, and maybe more. No one said those had to be at Beacon, did they?

Pyrrha smiled the entire way back.

/-/

It was gone eleven when Jaune heard the frantic hammering on his storefront window. He'd been about to turn in for bed but stumbled back into his dressing gown and slippers and staggered to the door. It couldn't have been Roman or Neo, surely. They'd already been and gone – mentioning a job they had in the coming days that they'd be busy on. So busy that they'd be working even later than usual and wouldn't be able to drop by for a while. He'd waved them off not thirty minutes ago, promising to save some ice-cream for when Neo came back.

Could it have been Miltia and Melanie? They were normally awake at this time if the late texts he woke up to on his scroll were any indication, but they knew what days he worked and wouldn't have tried to drag him out on a Monday night. Who even went out on a Monday?

"I'm coming," he called when the pounding got louder. He doubted they could hear him and he cursed as he bumped his toe against the couch. "Hold on!" He reached the door and wrenched it open and hurried down the staircase. His eyes sought out Crocea Mors as he did, still fixed above the entranceway to the diner. He dismissed the thought. If this was something bad they wouldn't knock, and if some criminals _had_ come calling, he wouldn't be able to do much about it anyway, sword or not.

It was raining outside, and the windows were covered in droplets that ran down the panes. A dark shape banged a fist on the door once more, but it was just about impossible to make out who it was. All his instincts warned him to do otherwise as he reached for the door and unlatch it, pulling the glass frame open. A wet and bedraggled girl dressed in black and white stood on the other side, hands clutched about her arms and her black hair stuck to the side of her face, soaked through. She shivered lightly and breathed out a pool of mist.

"Blake!?"

"H-Hey Jaune. C-Can I come in?" She shook again, and water dripped from her bangs. "I-It's cold out here."

Cold didn't even begin to describe it. He could feel his bones freezing just by looking at it. He stepped back and allowed her in, lamenting for a moment as water pooled off her and onto his freshly cleaned floor. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

She didn't quite meet his eyes. "C-Can I stay the night?"

He must have heard that wrong. "Excuse me?"

"Just the one night," she said. "I'll sleep on the couch and I won't be a bother. I… I just need somewhere to stay."

"Uh. Sure?" He had a feeling she'd only put herself through worse if he said no. "Why aren't you in Beacon, though? Where's your team?" When she refused to answer, or to meet his eyes, he pressed harder. "What's going on? What are you even doing out here?"

"I'm trying to find something out. It's... not something I can easily explain."

Oh, sure. That wasn't vague at all. He had half a mind to kick her back out again, except that it was just the fatigue talking and he'd never do something like that to anyone who looked as lost as her, even if she wasn't something of a friend and someone who'd helped him out before. Blake hadn't been forced to be a waitress to help him out; she'd volunteered. Now it looked like the shoe was on the other foot. _I've got a bad feeling about this._

"Does your team know?" he asked.

"Not exactly…" Blake bit her lip. "Could you maybe keep it that way?"

Yep. A bad feeling. Jaune sighed and gestured to the staircase. "I'll heat up some coffee. We can talk upstairs and you look like you're about to catch a cold." Blake interrupted him with a sneeze. "Or you've already caught one. Get upstairs and get warm. There are some towels in the bathroom."

"T-Thank you," she stammered, and he realised at last that it wasn't fear or embarrassment that made her teeth chatter. "I - _achoo!_ \- I won't f-forget this."

"Yeah, yeah." He pushed her towards the stairs and flicked on his cappuccino machine. As she staggered up the stairs with one hand on the railing, he shook his head. He'd never seen Blake look so out of sorts, or anything less than in complete control of herself. He pressed his forehead against the machine and sighed. It was gone eleven and he needed to be up at five for Velvet, and here he was, pouring coffee and preparing for a long talk with an obviously upset girl. What he was even doing trying that with his record, he had no idea.

The nozzle hissed once the drink was done and he took a long sip before he began to pour one for Blake. As the caffeine rushed through his system he bid thoughts of a warm bed and a good night's sleep farewell.

"Here's to a long night..."

* * *

 **Wait, is this… is this actually happening? Is Pyrrha having her moment in a fic of mine? Of course, while I still had a vast amount of support last chapter there were some who felt my making Pyrrha miserable was bashing and nothing else. After all, I'm the author, right? If I wanted her to be happy I could do so easily, right? If a character is unhappy them it's bashing.**

 **It's not like an unhappy character who wants something badly isn't the very crux of a** _ **story**_ **or anything, right? It's not like it's the very reason a story works. I confirm nothing, of course. Goodness knows confirming pairings has wounded me numerous times in the past, even if I'm still apparently considered a harem writer in some circles. You know, for the zero fics I've written where Jaune actually has a harem. I never really get that, since to me it's perfectly normal for multiple people to like one person. I've had multiple girls like me before and I've liked girls that my friends have also liked. Does that make us all harem protagonists?**

 **Not really. It's just emotions.**

 **Edit: From reviews it seems it's harem if more than one person likes the protagonist, regardless of the views of said protagonist or whether they even consider it to be attraction or just a childish crush that both sides know is unhealthy. I'm not sure if this is fanfiction readers reading _every_ little interaction as love, or believing a woman can't show interest in a man without it being romantic, but there it is. By this argument it is impossible to write a non-Arkos pairing that is not a harem, because unless you greatly change Pyrrha's character - she holds a torch for Jaune. Therefore, no matter what you try, you will have written a harem fic because even if it's a Lancaster, Pyrrha will still like Jaune, and that makes it a harem fic. I suppose by those definitions I have written harem fics, then. Similar in Entertainer when Jaune and Yang were the main pairing, but Pyrrha liked Jaune - even if he knew and didn't return her feelings. That was, by definition of reviews here, a harem fic. **

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**Next Chapter: 13** **th** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	14. Chapter 14

**Somewhat lengthy note at the bottom, but the chapter itself is the same length as ever. Nothing bad discussed and no issues, just answering points from reviews of last week.**

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 **Chapter 14**

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"So, you're a terrorist."

"Ex-terrorist," Blake corrected.

Did that actually mean anything? He wasn't sure. There was a part of him that wanted to point out that a criminal didn't stop being a criminal because they'd had a change of heart, but there was another part of time that didn't want to believe the girl he'd come to see as a friend could be some kind of racial supremacist. There was also another part of him that pointed out challenging a deadly ex-terrorist huntress in his own apartment with a dislocated shoulder also wasn't a good idea, but he mostly ignored that one.

If Blake wanted him dead she wouldn't have knocked on his door, drunk his coffee and dripped water all over his carpet. He hoped not, anyway. That would be pretty damn rude. Oh yeah, and she was apparently a faunus. That explained the bow.

 _Ugh, my head's not working straight._ He glowered at the clock on the counter, whose decimal digits burned red light into his retinas. It was almost one in the morning. One in the morning on what would be a work day ahead of him, though thankfully a Tuesday – one of the least busy of the week. Still, Velvet would be coming over in five hours and he still wasn't in bed and he still had a terrorist – sorry, ex-terrorist – on his couch.

He'd also discovered that he got quite snarky when he didn't have much sleep. Who knew?

"I'm sorry for intruding like this, Jaune. I… I would have gone elsewhere if I could, or even slept outside. But the rain…"

"It's fine. You shouldn't be trapped out in this if you can help it. You can have my bed."

"No. I'll take the couch."

"If you're sure…"

"I am," Blake said, and he breathed a sigh of relief, not quite willing to admit that he really did want to sleep in his own bed.

"Alright. You get some sleep and I'll do the same. We can figure this out in the morni-" A hand caught his sleeve before he could stand. "Uh, Blake? Something wrong?"

"You can't tell my team."

And there was the real problem. Jaune sighed and sat back down. Blake's eyes didn't meet his but it wasn't hard to see how stubborn she was going to be. _Talk about being difficult,_ he thought. How nice things had been when his greatest worry was tying his shoelaces one-handed.

"What can't I tell them?"

"Anything," she said. "Where I am. What I've told you. That you've even seen me."

"They're going to be worried," he pointed out.

"They won't be."

"And if they are?"

"They won't be."

It wasn't hard to see the argument coming. He sighed and leaned back, wondering how his mom might have navigated this if it were one of his sisters' legendary arguments. Those tended to run hot and cold all the time. Juniper worked with a mixture of stick and carrot in most cases, teasing apart arguments until they didn't make any sense or bodily throwing people together if they were being stupid about it. The latter wasn't exactly an option with Blake.

"Look, whatever argument you've had with your teammates I'm sure it'll work out. You can't tell me Ruby is going to keep a grudge. I'm not even sure she knows what one is."

"This is different… and it's not Ruby I'm worried about. Weiss is from the Schnee family, and our – the White Fang's – interactions with them haven't exactly been friendly."

"I'm sure Weiss won't hold a grudge, Blake."

" _Very_ unfriendly…"

"She-"

"Kidnap, ransom, and murder unfriendly."

"Oh…" Jaune's mouth clicked shut, the easy words he'd been about to utter swallowed by the sudden chill in the room. He was yet again reminded of just how out of the way Ansel was, and just how out of touch he was with the Kingdoms and everything going on in it. He hadn't even recognised Weiss' surname until it was explained to him, let alone known how they interacted with the White Fang – who he only nominally knew as a terrorist group. Jaune winced and tracked his eyes slowly up to Blake's. "Did you…?"

Her eyes flashed angrily. "No, of course not!"

"I'm sorry!"

"How could-!? I…" The girl growled and looked away. "I shouldn't be angry at you. You're not the one to blame for this. The White Fang has done some terrible things but I wasn't involved in any of that, and I wouldn't have accepted it if I was. We… there are factions. We all want peace and equality, but some people were just… a little more willing to throw certain things away."

"Like morality?"

"Like morality," she agreed, "or innocent lives. You won't be in any danger," she quickly added. "No one knows I'm here in Vale, and it's only my team and yourself that know the truth about me."

He hadn't even thought of that, which was a little mortifying. Gods, he'd thought it was bad having friends in the local mafia. This was insane. "What's going to happen with your team, then?" he asked. "You can't ignore them forever. Wait, you're not actually _leaving_ them are you?"

"No, no, no." Blake waved her hands before he could leap for his scroll. "Jaune, please, just listen to me. I don't intend to leave my team, or to leave Beacon. I… I said some things to Weiss and the others and I need to prove them true. I need to prove that the White Fang aren't evil like they think they are."

"Didn't you just say they don't care about innocent lives?"

"Not _purely_ evil," she amended, flushing a little. "A lot of the White Fang is just misguided or desperate."

"But still killing innocent people, right?"

"Will you stop focusing on that?"

"I don't know. It feels like something that should be focused on. How are you going to prove they're not, anyway?"

"I need to catch them in a crime."

Jaune waited for the rest, but it was clear after five or so seconds that she was done. "Wouldn't that prove they _are_ still evil?" he asked.

"Only if they actually do it. I'm sure they won't."

"Then how will you prove it to your team? If you have to find a case where the White Fang _don't_ do something, then you'll never have any proof." Jaune scratched his head as he tried to find a way around the argument. Maybe he was just being dumb but it really didn't make any sense. "You're basically saying you'll look for places where they _aren't_ , and then use that as proof that they're not criminals. That's like, impossible to prove."

"I'm not an idiot, Jaune," Blake said, rolling her eyes. "I'm going to find the people who _are_ committing the dust robberies and prove that _they're_ responsible, not the White Fang."

Oh, right. That made sense. "You think they're being framed, then."

"I hope… no, I'm sure they are. I'll prove it myself. I just need to stay here for one, maybe two, nights. I'll stay out of your way and not cause any problems. I'll be out during the night in most cases anyway, so you won't even see me. Just please, _please_ , don't tell my team. I can't face them like this."

She was so desperate that his mind was made up before she'd even asked – and he knew that was a failing of his. _I should tell Ruby and the others. It would be better that way._ But better wasn't always what he was known for, and Blake looked so miserable. _Damn it, man. Have some balls. Do the right thing for once._

"You realise this isn't fair on them," he said. "They'll be worried about you, and you're just going to leave them in the lurch while you investigate the White Fang."

Blake's head dipped. "I know. But… if I face them now it will only lead to another argument. I can't accept that the White Fang might be behind this, and Weiss won't accept that they're not. One of us is wrong but there won't be any peace until we know who."

"And if it's you that's wrong?"

"Then I'll beg for forgiveness on hands and knees."

/-/

The morning passed by in a blur. Velvet arrived, did her work, commented on how he looked _terrible_ , and basically sent him back to get an extra hour's sleep since she knew how to get the café ready on her own by now. Blake was already gone by the time he trudged back upstairs, but she'd left the couch warm so he collapsed on that and caught some extra sleep. By the time Velvet woke him up an hour and a bit later, it was time to work.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Velvet asked.

"It's not like anything can be done if I'm not. You have your lessons and Russel isn't working today. Even if he was, he'd be in lessons by now." He yawned, and then looked down as Velvet hadn't moved. "I'll be fine, Velvet. Thanks for asking – and thanks for letting me get some more sleep."

In the end he'd had to practically shoo her out the door. It was weird to have people looking out for him again, and he'd almost forgotten what it was like. Sapphire or Sable had always been the ones to drag him out of bed, though if he ignored them they'd send in Jade and Hazel to be less gentle. Velvet was much better, even if he felt he probably shouldn't be sleeping on the job in front of his employee. Ah well, too late to do anything about it.

The morning rush came in as expected and the work helped stir some life into him – that and the coffee. He bustled about serving drinks and cakes, chatting with regulars and handing out change. The familiarity of it all helped to keep him awake, and he caught his second wind sometime around the lunch hour, the exhaustion fading altogether.

"At least I've got tomorrow off," he yawned. "I think I'm due a long sleep in after all of this."

"Now he's talking to himself," a familiar voice stage-whispered.

"I knew it, Melanie. He's lost his mind."

"Alas. I almost loved him."

"You'll get over it."

"Already have. Fish in the sea and all that."

Melanie and Miltia Malachite stood before him, the latter with her arms crossed and the former with both on her hips. Both smiled like the cat that had caught the canary.

"Nice you see you, too," he groaned.

"Aw, you look tired," Melanie cooed.

"Maybe he spent too long thinking of us last night, probably while beating one-"

"Not in my café, thank you," he interrupted, eyes wide and cheeks a bright red. "I wasn't doing _that_. I was just busy last night with something."

"Something, he says," Miltia giggled.

"Oh, I bet he was busy with something."

"Not some _one_ , though."

"Nope. He's still innocent. I can tell."

"Did you two come over for a reason?" Jaune asked, trying to catch their attention before they could leap even further into the realm of teasing him. "You already sent Bill over for the morning order and it's too early for you to have run dry already."

"You'd be surprised. For a guy who works behind a bar, Junior sure has taken a liking to drinks ordered from someone else." Melanie and Miltia shared a quick look and a giggle. "But no, we didn't come here for more, not that we won't accept a slice of cake if it's on offer."

"It is," he said. "The offer is fifteen lien."

"Boo."

"I'm running a business."

"No wonder you're still a virgin."

"What does-?" He sighed. "No, I'm not going that way. What did you two come over for? I'm having something of a bad day, so can we not jump around confusing me even further?"

Melanie's smile fell. "You've heard the news, then?"

"News? What news?"

"Wait, you haven't heard?"

"I'm not sure what I have or haven't heard since the two of you _aren't making any sense_. Words," he begged. "Give them to me. Full sentences, _please_."

The twins exchanged another look between them, but this one wasn't teasing, nor was it amused. Miltia shook her head and that left Melanie to speak. "If you haven't heard then I've got a feeling your day's about to get even worse. Café Prime is opening a new diner."

"Why's that relevant to me?" he asked.

"It's on the end of Walker Street."

It took half a second for the name to click. " _This_ is Walker Street," he said, sighing. "How close?"

"Not five doors down. They bought out the lease this morning. It won't be announced for a few days, but we have contacts." Melanie shrugged one shoulder. "We thought you deserved to know, even if it is, y'know, bad news and all."

Bad news, indeed. Jaune ran a hand through his hair, already feeling the pounding of a headache approaching. Walker Street wasn't exactly a main thoroughfare and certainly not a good spot for such a major brand. Then again, their intentions were hardly subtle.

"I suppose I should be thankful they didn't set up directly across the street."

"If you want we can delay them," Miltia offered. "They need to renovate the place and there are plenty of things that could go wrong. Missing materials, late deliveries, vandalism. I mean, this is a rough area. There's no telling what kinds of hooligans might come by." Her smile made it clear she had an idea.

He honestly considered it. Hopefully that was just a sign of how tired he was, and not that he was becoming as bad as them.

"No, leave them. I need to beat them at their own game. I can do it. I'm sure of it."

"Hmm, you're not half-bad when you're defiant," Miltia crooned.

"Well, except for the bags under the eyes."

"Yeah, except for those."

Ugh, did they always have to stick a needle into him when he was feeling good about himself? Jaune deflated and poured himself another cup of coffee, downing it so fast that it scalded his mouth. The caffeine kicked in, and not for the first time he wondered if this was what an addiction felt like.

 _I've already beaten Café Prime's first attempts to force me out of business. I can do it again even if they are closer._ It wasn't like distance was the main reason he'd retained his customers, after all. Maybe once Stirling realised that, he'd back off. In the meantime, it was work as usual.

"So, you two want that cake? I'll do you a deal on a big order for the club."

Melanie's eyes narrowed.

Miltia's stomach grumbled.

"We didn't bring any money," Melanie admitted.

As he'd expected. "I wouldn't mind doing a trade for something else."

"Oh? Someone's getting cocky. Hm, okay, what is it you want?" She leaned forward and pursed her lips together, blowing him a pouty kiss. "Or should I ask _who_ it is you want?"

"N-Not that!" he stammered. "I was thinking you could help me out, or maybe Junior could. He's an information dealer, right?"

"Among other things."

"But he can find out stuff."

"That's kind of implied in the job description," Miltia drawled. "Come on, cutie. You're not slow. If you want to deal with us you'll need to show us a little spine." For once there was no innuendo to follow that up; even if it was such an obvious one he could have predicted it. The girls were watching him intently, though not suspiciously. They looked more curious than anything.

"I need information," I said. "And I need you to keep it quiet that I'm looking. In turn, I'll give you – and only the two of you – a discount for the future. That's not for your regular orders, though. I can't afford to discount fifty or more cups of coffee a day."

"Junior won't be moved if he's left out of the deal," Miltia warned.

"Fine. You three, then. But only you three."

The girls shared a quick grin.

"Deal! What is it you're after?"

/-/

Lessons were over, finally. She hadn't been the only one desperate to get out, as she'd seen Team RWBY – oddly minus one member – rush out the moment Doctor Oobleck called the lesson done. They were arguing between themselves, or arguing with Weiss, but the three hurried off to the Bullhead docks so quickly that it looked like they were off into Vale in full uniform.

Pyrrha felt kind of the same way, but she decided to stop by her dorm for a shower and a change of clothes before she headed off. She wanted to make a good impression, after all. _Would it be too casual to dress up, or does that make it look like I'm trying too hard?_ She paused, head in her wardrobe.

 _I'm being ridiculous. This is hardly a date and I'm just going to pay him back and stay at his diner for a little while. What does it matter what I wear?_

The question burned but the answer wasn't easy. In the end she chose a brown jumper over a white blouse and finished it off with some black leggings and a skirt. It was casual enough so as to not look desperate, but plain enough that it drew attention up towards her bright hair and brighter eyes. That was dangerous, of course. Clothing could be used to distract attention away from a face, and it was her face that people recognised. On the other hand, if she was right and he _didn't_ know who she was, then this would be the perfect chance to actually make a friend.

It was kind of embarrassing to think she was putting so much effort into dressing up for what other people did naturally, but there it was. She wanted to make a friend and she had so little opportunities that she wasn't going to ruin it by looking anything other than her best. She snatched up her jacket, pulled on her shoes – double, triple, and then quadruple checked that she had her money with her this time – and hurried to the door.

It opened before she could reach for it. Russel stood in the entranceway. His eyes met hers, before they drifted lower and took in her outfit. She squirmed, but it wasn't because his attention was unwelcome or creepy, but rather that he looked so disinterested. "Going out?" he asked half-heartedly.

"Yeah," she replied, just as excitedly, if not less. "Aren't you working tonight?"

"No. Tuesday and Wednesdays are days off."

"Ah."

"Yeah."

The clock in the room ticked ominously away.

"So…" Pyrrha began, and then trailed off when nothing came to mind. She could still remember how excited he'd been to be her partner. She could remember his wide smile and laughter. She could remember her response, too, and how everything had soon turned to ash. It was that which had her ducking her head. "I should go. I'll be back later."

"Yeah, sure." Russel stepped out of the way.

Nothing else was said as they passed, Pyrrha doing her best not to flee, even after the door had been slammed behind her. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why did she have to be such an idiot? "Forget about it," she hissed. "Focus on what's ahead. Don't waste this opportunity as well."

The Bullhead ride into Vale was pleasant enough, mainly because the pilots didn't care for her identity and focused on the flight itself. They dropped her off at a bustling terminal, and that was where things became a little dicier. A young boy, around twelve or so, gasped when he saw her face, but she rushed past before he could tell his mom and dad.

She kept her face to the ground and a hand in front of her mouth as she ducked through the throngs of people leading outside. Red hair wasn't unusual, at least not enough to immediately draw attention, but the combination of that, her height, not to mention her distinctive ponytail, and it all sort of worked together. She'd tried wearing it loose and even hiding it under a big hat. It rarely worked. Still, Vale wasn't as bad as Mistral, and that was saying something. Almost three quarters of the people in Vale seemed to recognise her, but only half _knew_ who she was. For the rest it was just a sense of her being `someone famous`. It was worse among huntsmen and huntresses, of course. Everyone knew her at that point.

But it was still better than Mistral, hence her reasons for coming to Beacon in the first place. Sure, it hadn't worked out and her team knew who she was, but at least the teachers didn't make a meal out of her. Those in Haven had, even on the brief meeting she'd had with them to try and determine where she wanted to go.

" _We'd be honoured to have you among our students."_

She didn't want them to be honoured. She wanted them to treat her like any other student. To their credit, Beacon's teachers did a good job of that. She had no complaints about the school itself, just… just the student body, really.

Pyrrha avoided the High Street as she made her way toward the diner. The crowds there would be too much, and once she was truly spotted it was hard to break free. She couldn't hurt anyone, and wouldn't if she could help it, and her Agent always said the easiest thing to do was stand still and get it all over with. Even so, she had something to do today and couldn't afford to have her time wasted.

Vale's alleyways it was, then. She earned a few weird looks from the people who frequented them, rough and messy men and women with hoodies and zipped-up tracksuits. Many sneered at the pristine and nice-looking girl who dared walk through their world, but she ignored them as best she could. If any tried to harm her they'd be in for a nasty surprise. Luckily (for them) none did, and she soon found herself in the middle of Walker Street. She checked her scroll just in case, not quite being familiar with Vale just yet.

The map said she'd got it spot on. Perfect. Pyrrha poked her head out to check left and right, scanning the street for anyone who might recognise her. There were a few people walking by but most had their attention on the path ahead or chatted among one another. No kids, no huntsmen, and no excitable teenagers – her three major demographics. She took a deep breath and stepped out into the street, quickly turning so that her face was half to the wall. She awkwardly walked down toward Jaune's diner and slipped inside with a relieved gasp.

Only to run face-to-face with Weiss Schnee, Ruby Rose, and Yang Xiao-Long.

Okay, maybe not face-to-face. They had their attention ahead, focused on Jaune, and Pyrrha's immediate panic was muted by the recollection of him saying they were friends and customers of his place. That was fine. They obviously weren't here for her, and even if Weiss _had_ been just like everyone else at first, she'd not approached her since. Pyrrha crept over to a nearby table and sat down, shielding her face with a menu.

She didn't _try_ to listen in, but Ruby wasn't exactly being quiet.

"You'll keep an eye out for her, though," she begged. "You'll tell us if you see her?"

"I will. Is there a message you want me to pass on? If I see her, I mean."

"Tell her we're all trying to find her," Yang said – earning a snort from Weiss. "We're _all_ trying to find her," she repeated. "Ignore her. She's on the rag and being a _bitch_."

"Xiao-Long!" Weiss snapped. "How dare you!? I am not-"

"See what I mean? Total cow-bag. Anyway, if she isn't here she isn't here. Come on, Ruby. We need to make use of the time we have. Doctor Oobleck might have believed us saying she was sick, but that's not going to last."

"Whatever do you mean, Yang? She is sick," Weiss drawled. "Sick in the head."

"Funny, Weiss. So funny. I almost forgot to laugh. Come on, your royal bitchiness, we have some searching to do." The blonde dragged Weiss out of the diner, all the while the younger girl – still in school uniform – apologised and backed away from Jaune. When her sister called her name she apologised once more and hurried after her team. The door's bell tinkled as it closed behind them.

Were they looking for someone? It sounded like their teammate had gone missing, not that it was any of her business. Even so, she spared a worried glance in the direction they'd gone. _I hope they find her. They've always looked like such good friends._

Pyrrha sighed heavily.

Jaune did, too, much to her surprise, and moved back around the counter while shaking his head and mumbling something to himself. He picked up a notepad and pen, came back out, and walked over to her table with a flimsy smile. "Welcome to Jaune's. What can I get y…?" He trailed off, recognising her as she glanced up and smiled.

"Hello."

His eyes widened, but not in the way some people's did when they recognised her. It was more like he was surprised she'd come back, but pleasantly so for a smile overtook his earlier melancholy. "Oh, hey!" he said. "You came back."

"I said I would, didn't I? It's good to see you again, Jaune."

"You too, - " He cut off with a pause, which quickly morphed into a panicked expression. His mouth hung open, eyes wide, and he stared at her like he was suddenly terrified. For a moment she worried, too, but his next words nixed that. "Polly, right?"

Pyrrha stared at him. She couldn't help it! Immense relief flooded her system, along with something else that really made no sense since anyone else would have been _offended_ to have their name be forgotten after a single day. She began to snigger, hiding her face as one hand came up in a desperate attempt to stifle her laughter.

"I'm _so_ sorry," Jaune said, cringing. "I've had a lot to think about and I was up all night. It's Penny, right? I swear it began with a P. I really am sorry."

Her eyes watered from her mirth, but she really did try to control it – if only so he didn't think she was crying or something. "I-It's okay," she said between her giggles. "I'm not upset."

"You're not?"

She should have been. Anyone else would have been.

"Not in the slightest. You have a lot of names to try and remember, I imagine. It's Pyrrha." Again, the name brought no reaction to his face, and her smile grew all the more. "Pyrrha Nikos, but just call me Pyrrha. It's a rare name. That's probably why you forgot it."

"It _is_ pretty unique sounding. Is it foreign?"

"From Mistral," she said, "like me." Pyrrha paused, suddenly afraid that sounded a little too awkward. She really hadn't come here to talk about herself. "But what about you?" she asked. "You said you were from Vale, right? Have you ever been to Mistral?"

"I've been once or twice. We used to a visit a little place called Shion. It's a small village," he said when she didn't recognise it. "I think Dad knew some people there, but it was a trip we made every now and then." It sounded like a place far removed from the city, which might have explained why he hadn't heard anything about her. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"Oh, that reminds me." Pyrrha's cheeks flushed and she quickly reached for her purse. She pulled out some lien and pushed it into his hands. "I almost forgot; I'm sorry. Here, for what I had yesterday. Can I get a cappuccino for today, and maybe a slice of lemon cake?"

Jaune took the money and nodded, slipping back behind the counter and humming as he worked the machine. The moment's peace gave Pyrrha a chance to look around, and she was selfishly relieved to see that the diner was almost empty. That was bad for him, of course. She had to remind herself of that. She shouldn't wish him ill just so she could spend more time talking to him. In fact, she felt rather embarrassed to have thought it at all.

 _Is this what jealousy feels like?_

She'd felt envious of people before, most noticeably those who got on with their teams and had a lot of friends, but envy and jealousy were two different things, and this felt more possessive. She shook her head quickly, dispelling it. She couldn't even count the man before her as a friend yet. She was literally the strange girl who didn't pay for her meal one day and came back the next. That wasn't exactly a stellar reputation she was building!

But he didn't seem to care. He smiled as he came back out, mug in one hand and the cake balanced on a plate trapped between his good arm and his chest. He knelt, making to slide the plate onto the table before he paused as she stood and helped him.

"Thanks," he said. "It's still a bit weird getting used to one arm."

"No problem, Jaune. You said you dislocated it yesterday. How did that happen?"

"It was an accident," the response was immediate, too immediate. "The doctor said it'll take a few weeks to heal. I'll be okay. Hey, did your problem ever sort itself out?"

The change in topic was so sudden she was left unprepared for it. "Huh?"

"You know, that issue you had with your friends."

"Ah…" Her team. "I'm afraid not. I think there are just too many differences between us. We can work together but I'm not sure we'll ever be considered friends."

"Ah, sorry. I'm just surprised. You seem like a really nice girl."

"Do I?"

"Sure. I mean you're honest, friendly…" He gestured to her and was about to say something, but cut himself off, "a-and nice," he finished weakly. "Not to mention you're a huntress in Beacon, which is the coolest thing ever. What's not to like?"

A thousand little Pyrrha's cheered in unison in her mind, while yet more tap-danced away in her stomach. It was all she could do to keep a vapid smile on her face, all the while resisting the urge to giggle like a ten-year-old or ask him to tell her more about how nice she was. Yes, Jaune, keep talking. That's grand, Jaune. She wasn't the only one who was nice. He didn't know who she was, he had no reason to be so kind towards her, and yet here he was being the perfect gentleman.

"I bet anyone would love to be your friend," he said. "Your team are the ones missing out."

" _Forward, ho!"_ The tiny Pyrrha in control cried, thrusting forward on her metaphorical lever. She'd spent years planning her time at Beacon, from her team to having friends, to having a best friend, and maybe even more. That might have all fell flat but that didn't mean she couldn't see a cue when it was dangled in front of her.

"Then how about _we_ be friends," she suggested.

Jaune blinked. "Eh?"

"The two of us," Pyrrha said, not willing to let go of the idea now that she'd caught him. Socialising wasn't her thing but she knew fighting. Once you had someone on the ropes you didn't let go. You had to drive the blade home. "I don't have many friends in Beacon and I'm new to Vale. You're new too, but I bet you know more about the area than I do. We could be friends. Real friends, I mean. Not just someone serving someone else. We could have a look around Vale together, or maybe just hang out. If you want to, I mean."

Did that sound too pathetic? She wasn't sure. It probably did – especially when she rambled on at the end. She cringed and prayed to any deities watching that someone would drop a cup like the last time and distract him. No Gods answered, and no more cups were smashed.

Instead, the man before her smiled.

"Sure. It would be nice to have a real friend around here."

And just like that, everything was perfect.

/-/

Blake kept her frustrations suppressed and her footsteps light as she crept up the stairs into another man's apartment. It sounded worse than it was. She just didn't want to wake him up after she'd already cost him so much sleep the night before. She worked the spare key he'd lent her into the lock and winced as it clicked. The door crept slowly open and she poked a head in.

"I wondered when you'd get back," Jaune said.

"You're still awake?" Blake pushed the door open and stepped through, locking it behind her. Jaune was sat on the couch in his tiny living-room area. There was something on the table in front of it. "I thought you'd be trying to get some sleep."

"I'll be having a lay in tomorrow," he said. "I wanted to wait for you to come back."

"You didn't have to."

"I know. I wanted to."

Blake hesitated at the tone of his voice. It was just a little too pointed, a little too sharp. Was he going to kick her out? If so, she'd go without trouble. He'd already put her up for one night and that was asking enough. "Is something wrong?" she asked. "If you want me to leave just let me know." It would be a bother but the rainstorms were gone. She'd be okay on the streets.

"I'm not throwing you out. I just wanted to talk a little more." He gestured to the couch opposite him and she padded over to sit down. While she didn't really like talking much, she figured she did owe him.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Ruby, Yang and Weiss came over today."

Blake flinched.

"They were looking for you."

"Did you tell them where I was?" Her eyes flicked to the nearby doors, half-expecting her team to come flying out at any moment. No one did.

"I didn't tell them."

"Thank yo-"

"But I nearly did," he snapped. She jumped a little, not having expected the sudden anger from someone like him. "Do you know what it was like having to lie to Ruby? She was worried about you, Blake. So worried! She's my friend, too. My first friend in Vale. I had to stand there and lie to her face while she was worried, and all because of some stupid promise I made to _you_!"

Blake's head drooped. Even if Jaune didn't make for a very intimidating sight, what with his dislocated shoulder and messy hair, his words still bit deep enough to hurt. "I-I'm sorry. I know she's your friend and not me. I shouldn't have asked you to lie to her, but-"

"But I did," he said. "I did and it was my choice. Damn it. You know, it's only thanks to someone else distracting me for six hours or so that I didn't lose my cool and just call Ruby. You should thank Pyrrha for that," he mumbled, and though she caught his words she didn't recognise the name. "Either way, this can't continue. I'll bet Ruby's worried sick right now. This'll be the _second_ night you've not contacted her." Jaune twisted the knife. "She probably doesn't even know if you're alive or not!"

"I know!" she cried, not at all trying to hide her shame. "I know and I feel terrible and… and it's my fault and my mistake. I know all this. But what can I do? I can't go back to them; there'll never be any peace. It'll be me or Weiss. One of us has to leave." Her hands bunched into fists on her knees and she bit her lip. "At least… at least if I can prove I'm not wrong, I can come back. Weiss isn't wrong either, but if I can prove that _I_ wasn't involved in the killings, in the horrible things we did, then at least I can look her in the eye…"

"Is that what this is about?" Jaune asked.

"Of course. Did you think that I wanted revenge? Weiss called us monsters. She called _me_ a monster. I… I have to prove her wrong, otherwise I'll be stuck in limbo my whole life. That's why I need to prove the White Fang isn't behind this," she said. "Or at least if they are, I need to know why. I can face being wrong about this, but… but I can't face not knowing. Once I do. Once I know… I'll go back to them, I promise."

Jaune let out a long sigh. The barista leaned back on his couch, eyes focused up toward the ceiling. His anger appeared to have faded, though his frown had not. "How long is that going to take? I don't like lying to Ruby like this."

"It'll take until I can find out about the White Fang."

"And then you'll contact your team?"

"Once I know for sure what's going on, yes."

"Then how about we make a deal?"

"A deal?" Blake eyed him warily.

"Yeah, a deal. An exchange." He leaned forward once more, over the table, and as he did he tapped his good hand against a white envelope upon it. "This contains information on recent White Fang activity, including their recent movements and recruitment plans."

She couldn't breathe. It was… what? Blake shook her head and lunged for it.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Jaune cautioned, whipping it away and holding it out of reach. He kept his eyes on her, even as hers tracked the envelope he held in the air.

"Is… is that real?" she whispered.

"It better be after the deal I struck for it. This cost me a lot, Blake. Stuff like this doesn't come easy, especially considering who I had to deal with for it." His words struck a chord, and a question. How in the seven hells did a _barista_ find information on a terrorist group? In a single day, no less.

"Who did you make a deal with?"

"That's not important," he said. "And it's probably best I don't tell you, for you, me, and them. Point is, I have what you want here. It'll help you get this all over with quickly, right? You can find what you're looking for, move back out of my apartment, and get back to your team."

Blake's head bobbed up and down excitedly. She had to resist the urge to tackle and take it from him. It was only the fact he was injured that stopped her. Yang and Ruby would never forgive her if she made his shoulder any worse.

"Please," she whispered. "Give it to me. I'll finish this tonight!"

There was a click as something was laid down on the table. It was not the envelope. When she tore her eyes from what she wanted it was to see a scroll laid on the table between them, it's reflective surface glinting off the warm light in the apartment. It didn't move, but from how she leaned back, one might have thought it a poisonous snake.

"You know what I want, Blake. I have what you want, and you know what it is I'm about to ask in return."

She did. She just didn't want to admit it.

"I want you to call Ruby."

* * *

 **One-off Omake**

" **You know what it is I want, Blake."**

" **I do," she said, already unbuttoning her top. She paused when she heard a crash, Jaune having fallen over the back of the couch in his desperate attempt to escape.**

" **W-What the hell are you doing!?"**

" **I assumed this was what you wanted. That's what the scroll is for, right? You want nudes."**

" **I want you to call Ruby!" he screamed.**

" **Oh, right." Blake flushed and quickly pulled her shirt back over her breasts. She eyed the scroll, considered the options, and looked back up to him. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather have the nudes?"**

" **CALL YOUR TEAM!"**

" **Okay, okay. Sheesh."**

* * *

 **Aaanyway, that little thing out of the way, lol. Last chapter's note about harems got some interesting responses. I think the conclusion I came to was that I just consider harems different to what others do, or that maybe people judge things harem too soon due to anime tropes and a lot of other fanfiction liberally throwing them in. A consensus seemed to be that it's a harem if multiple people like one person, but that distinction makes Romeo & Juliette a harem, and Beauty and the Beast harem, and Cinderella, and almost every other romance story that involves a "choice" option between romantic partners. ****Since most romance stories involve a "rival", that kind of casts the net wide.**

 **That is often what I do in my fics, though not all. I have one or more people like someone, but only one pairing that is ever explored or taken seriously. Sadly, that normally means Pyrrha is shafted, but that's not often something I can avoid. After all, Pyrrha's feelings for Jaune are canon. That means by the definitions I was given, it's impossible to write a Jaune x Anyone that** _ **isn't**_ **a harem story, because unless you write Pyrrha out or change their meeting so that they don't develop feelings (like I did in NTF), Pyrrha will still like Jaune, which means that if he pursues anyone else it becomes a harem story. One Good Turn had Ruby like Jaune, but that was because I started writing it before I'd even seen an episode of the show, and I actually thought Ruby x Jaune WAS canon, the fanfic I read before having suggested it was.**

 **I tend to consider a story harem myself when the point of multiple people liking one is actually the `focus` of the story, or plays a major part. That's not to say I forgive a harem if it suddenly brings out a single pairing ending, but if the main attention of the story is on the harem, then I consider it one. I.e. loads of girls liked Sasuke in the anime Naruto, but I wouldn't call it a harem so much as it was a bunch of young girls all liking the popular guy (kind of like in PA). In both stories, the fact multiple people like another was played for occasional comedy, not content. On the other hand, I'd consider Love Hina a harem because the shenanigans were** _ **always**_ **about the character being in romantic situations between loads of girls and it was a major focus of the plot.**

 **Is Fate Stay Night a harem? It has multiple options (the game, and through routes the series), but I wouldn't necessarily call it a harem. It simply accepts that it's possible for people to form different relationships if you go left instead of right, or take a different route through life spending more time with different people.**

 **Similarly, when I wrote Stress Relief, there was no actual romance between Pyrrha and Jaune, but I had to** _ **include**_ **Pyrrha, because she's canon and I couldn't ignore her. I don't feel that made it a harem story, though. After all, 90% of the focus was elsewhere – on Cinder and Jaune's issues together – and the Pyrrha angle was just there as a nod to canon.**

 **If that makes my stories harem, then meh. It can't be helped. As in, it** _ **literally cannot be helped**_ **. The only option is Pyrrha dies, the past is changed, or I write her dreadfully OoC and have her suddenly stop liking Jaune for some sudden reason. I normally avoid that and go for the more realistic approach; feelings not being reciprocated. It happens all the time, after all. I've had many of my feelings rebuffed, and I've rebuffed feelings in my time.**

 **Ah well, these are my thoughts anyway. In the end it doesn't really matter. People can, and will, decide whatever they want.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 27** **th** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks to Jack Wayne for making some fan art for this, which marks the new cover. You can see more of his work on his deviant art. I would link it, but obviously I can't on this site, so one would have to Google it.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 15**

* * *

It was a cruel joke that he woke up at five on his day off. By now it had become a habit he couldn't shake, and even trying to sleep in didn't help. His instincts screamed that he was late, that Velvet would be waiting for him to open the store, that Marron would be tapping his feet, wondering what he was going to do with the batch of cakes he'd baked. Until eventually, whether he liked it or not, he stood up and accepted that he'd become something he swore he never would – an early riser.

But it did let him catch Blake before she departed. She was groggily waking up on the couch, not quite as alert as he was but unable to sleep through him brushing his teeth. He plodded out in his pyjamas and dressing gown, eyeing the dishevelled head of black hair as it poked over the couch.

Funny how he'd had fantasies of things like this, yet the truth was far less sexy. Blake looked exhausted, both physically and emotionally. He'd left her to make the call last night in private, knowing she couldn't do it while he watched and listened in. Jaune paused by the kitchenette to pour two glasses of water, gargled his into the sink, and then sat down opposite her, pushing a glass across the table.

"How did it go?"

"You were right," she whispered, accepting the drink. "Ruby was worried…"

"I figured she would be. How is she now?"

"Upset, annoyed, but relieved to know I'm okay…" Blake let out a quiet laugh. "She wanted to help me find them but I said no. I don't want her to be in danger or get into trouble. I'm glad she feels better, though. When I first heard her voice she sounded so afraid. I… I felt terrible."

"She's your friend," he pointed out. "So, what happens now?"

"I'm going to investigate this tonight." She tapped the papers he'd gotten from Junior and the Malachites. "I'll go and see what happens and get my answers, but if I don't get them or they're not what I want, I'll return to Beacon. I promised Ruby I would." The faunus sighed and reached up to push her hair into some semblance of order. "Either way I'll be out of your apartment. Thank you for letting me stay here, Jaune."

"No problem."

"That's a lie." She glared at him. "I know it was a time sink for you."

"Okay, it was a problem, but I don't mind," he amended. "Or I forgive you. Whichever works. I'm just glad you made up with Team RWBY. When are you leaving?"

"Now," she said, standing. "I'll get some food in Vale and finish this tonight."

"Good luck, then. It's my day off, so I'm going to relax here for a few hours, then take a wander around Vale." He watched the huntress nod and make her way outside. Only once she was gone did he kick his feet up onto the table and lean back.

Things were finally going right for a change.

/-/

`Sorry, we're closed`

Pyrrha stared at the sign and felt her spirits drop down somewhere to the vicinity of her ankles. Her eyes scanned the door in a panic, finding the opening hours, where she quickly realised that Jaune's didn't open on a Wednesday, leaving her stood outside like a fool.

A fool who had, for the first time in her life, done something she'd never have considered before. She'd skipped class. Oh, how the media would _balk_ if they knew. Her Agent would have her head, as would her parents. The image of Miss Perfect, a role model and icon for children, teenagers and adults alike, skipping school like a delinquent, would have been too much for many. She wondered how much worse it would be if they knew she was doing it for a boy.

That thought sent a strange thrill through her.

Not the boy part, though that was true, but rather the thought of the shock on their faces. Would it be a moment of realisation for them, when they finally discovered she was a real person and not just an object to be admired? Probably not. They'd blame Jaune and say she was misled, but it was still nice to imagine throwing off their expectations like that and rattling the chains.

Of course, she also knew she'd regret it later. Miss Goodwitch wasn't the kindest of teachers when it came to those acting out, and while she had a feeling Professor Port wouldn't even notice her absence, Doctor Oobleck was sure to.

But it had all been worth it – because all through the night she'd been thinking about spending more time with her new friend. A friend who looked and talk to her as she was, a normal girl, instead of to Pyrrha Nikos, Invincible Girl. Such a simple thing, and yet each time he laughed at one of her comments it felt like she'd walked out of a desert and into a cool rainstorm where she could bask in the life-giving water. It was an odd metaphor for simple conversation perhaps, but there was no denying how she felt. Whatever the case, she'd been willing to face even Miss Goodwitch's wrath to feel that again.

But now fate was truly laughing at her.

"I skipped class for nothing," she whispered, and this time there was no joy – only the feeling of a heavy weight pressing down on her shoulders. She was in trouble now, big trouble. "Maybe if I hurried back I could make it for history…" It wasn't likely. It was only half past nine, but that meant it was halfway through Port's class. She'd have to take a Bullhead, and then get changed back into her uniform. All of that before ten. Even then, the school's records would show she'd left campus

 _I'm such an idiot. Why didn't I check the times yesterday?_ Because she'd been too busy chatting and having fun. _Well, I'll be paying for it now, I guess._

She was about to turn away and trudge back to Beacon – and detention – when she caught sight of a misty figure through the glass. Jaune arrived at the back of the store, dressed in dark blue jeans and a white shirt, replete with an open mid-grey jacket he wore over the top, open-chested. She'd never seen him in casual clothes before and couldn't help but stare.

That was exactly how he caught her, face practically pressed against the glass like some child gazing at a sweet treat, except that she looked much worse for being a young adult and the fact she was staring at him. He actually flinched for a second, and her heart fell. But when he laughed and waved, she relaxed. He moved towards the door, bringing a small key out of his back pocket and unlocking the door.

She stood awkwardly in the street, feeling like a complete idiot.

"Pyrrha," he laughed, once he had the door open. "Hey, I didn't see you there. I close on a Wednesday. Sorry about that."

"It's my fault. I didn't think to check your opening times. I'm sorry for startling you like that."

"Eh, it's fine. I'm surprised a pair of twins I know haven't already done the same. Did you come for a drink? I can make you one if you like."

The offer was tempting, more for the company than the drink, but she shook her head. "It wouldn't be fair for me to ask you to do that on your day off." As much as that pained her to say it. At least she'd gotten a chance to talk to him, and weirdly enough that satisfied her. "I should probably make my way back to Beacon, anyway."

"Oh yeah. Don't you have classes today?"

"Um, no, I have… well, some free time…"

"Really? Well, I was just going to go for a wander around Vale," Jaune said, locking the door behind him. "You're free to come along if you like. If you're free, I mean. You don't have to."

Common sense said to say no. If she went back now she'd be late, but she might be able to make an excuse and beg forgiveness. It wouldn't be enough to stop Oobleck assigning her more work, but she wouldn't get in trouble for it.

But on the other hand…

"I'd love to, Jaune."

/-/

Blake eyed the docks through the chain-link fence and read through the documents held in her hand. This was the place, and true to Jaune's Intelligence, there was a shipment coming in right now, one from the SDC. She could see the snowflake-marked containers being moved off the vessel by large industrial cranes. Forklifts then moved them around, stacking the giant things about the dockyard. The SDC didn't tend to advertise their shipments nowadays, not with the White Fang around, so finding out about one could be tough.

 _Which raises the question of how Jaune did in the first place…_

"No. He's helped me out enough. I'm not going to start feeling paranoid about him." It was bad enough with the White Fang. She, and Team RWBY, really didn't need more drama added on top. Still, the dock would make a tempting target for whoever was stealing all this dust, and with it being the SDC the blame would naturally fall onto the White Fang.

It was the perfect framing. Next morning's headline practically wrote itself. Blake checked her scroll. It was mid-afternoon, which meant there was plenty of time until the thieves would feel confident enough to make a raid.

After so long spent looking for leads, she now had time to spare. It wasn't as great a feeling as it could have been, what with her team worrying in the background. Blake let out a long sigh and stared at the containers once more.

"This is an interesting past-time," a voice said from beside her. "I do not see the appeal but will nevertheless join you in this."

Blake froze. It took a second to remind herself she was doing _nothing_ wrong and that she didn't need to freak out, let alone make a run for it. Even so, her heart beat a little faster. How distracted had she been that someone could sneak up on her like that? Her eyes flicked over to see a girl with bright orange hair and green eyes, dressed in an odd combination of pale green and black. She looked vaguely confused.

"Excuse me," Blake said. "But who are you?"

"You are excused," the girl replied, not quite understanding. "And my name is Penny. Hello."

Blake stared at the girl.

"Would you like to be friends?" Penny asked.

"Excuse me?"

"You are excused again. Are you feeling well? I know some limited first aid."

Was this girl for real? Blake fixed her with the best glare she could, one that really accentuated her feline appearance and had more than once sent people hurrying away in pursuit of more friendly conversation. It had even been enough to make Yang back down before initiation, even if Ruby hadn't quite realised what it meant.

This girl was made from the same stuff as Ruby, apparently. She weathered it with a smile and a tilt of the head, until eventually even Blake had to blink and look away. Okay, that hadn't quite gone as expected.

"Is this communication without words?" the girl asked. "I hear that is something only the closest of friends do. Sensational!"

No. It was too early to deal with this. Ruby would have been aghast, while Yang would have shaken her head and even Weiss would have had a word to say about being polite. Either way, they weren't here, so no one felt the need to reprimand her when she turned and walked away, ignoring the girl entirely. The message was clear, the dismissal impossible to miss.

"Wait, friend!" the girl called, jogging after her. "You haven't introduced yourself!"

/-/

Jaune hadn't exactly thought through what he and Pyrrha were going to do, which made him feel like an idiot and reminded him for the tenth time why he didn't have a girlfriend to his name. Oh sure, he'd asked Pyrrha out – to come out, he meant, nothing more. He wasn't going to make a mistake and start jumping to conclusions. _Not this time,_ he thought, recalling one or two occasions in the past where he'd mistaken girls as being interested in him when, against all odds, they'd just been _nice_ people.

Either way, the decision to invite Pyrrha to spend some time with him had been impulsive and random, and he'd been amazed when she'd agreed. Now he was even more amazed, though for all the wrong reasons.

"So… what would you like to do?"

"I don't mind," Pyrrha said, smiling. "What were you thinking of doing?"

Yep. He'd run afoul of an age-old problem; that of having no plan. Wandering around wasting time was all well and good when it was just him doing it, but he'd invited Pyrrha out, which meant they had to _do_ something, and that was where his mind started to dredge up a big, fat, nothing.

 _Do I say I've got no idea? No, that makes me sound like an idiot. I invited her out. I can't make her decide what to do. Besides, she's already said to do whatever I had planned._ He bit his lip, walking forward with Pyrrha beside him, hoping to buy time under the pretence of heading to their destination.

Did he take her to a restaurant? That felt too presumptuous and he hadn't even asked her if she was hungry. Wait, did he ask? Wouldn't she let him know? But what if she thought _he_ wasn't hungry and didn't want to be a bother?

What if he _wasn't_ hungry!?

 _Then I don't eat, idiot,_ he berated, feeling every part as stupid as he probably was. Nothing too formal, but nothing too casual – and he didn't even really know what Pyrrha liked to do in her free time. That meant the arcade was out. Maybe a book store – or would that make him seem too bookish? What did he even need from a book store?

"Is everything okay?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yep! Everything is fine."

"It's just that… we've been walking in a circle for the past five minutes. Are we lost?"

Jaune came to a stop. Pyrrha did the same beside him. Great. Absolutely wonderful. He couldn't even hang out with a friend without looking like some kind of moron.

"I might know the right way," she said, as helpful as ever. "Where were we headed?"

He mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nowhere," he said, louder. Pyrrha looked concerned, so he sighed and took the plunge. "I've got no idea where we should go. I was just going to walk around aimlessly, but then I thought I could invite you out, but I've got no idea what to do." He barked a short laugh. "Funny, huh? Invites someone to hang out and then doesn't do anything."

And now Pyrrha was laughing at him. Jaune huffed and stuck his hands into his pockets. She noticed and held out a hand to stop him walking off in defeat. It still took her a few seconds to get over her hilarity, though.

"I-I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have laughed." She snickered again, just to rub it in. "It's just… I didn't know what was wrong and I – ha – I didn't expect that."

"That I'd be an idiot?"

"That you'd be worried about me not having fun," she countered, and he looked away, cheeks flushed. "That's sweet, Jaune."

"I-I just meant it as a friend."

"But it's still sweet." She smiled. "I'm not sure what to do because I'm as new to Vale as you are. We could grab a tour guide, though. Maybe we should just explore the sights here."

Jaune was ashamed at how relieved he felt for her making the suggestion. Despite her words, he still felt it should have been him to come up with the idea. "That sounds like an idea. Those places are usually pretty popular."

Pyrrha's face went white. "O-On second thought, how about somewhere a little quieter?"

"Huh?"

"The cinema," she said, face lighting up. "We could go watch a movie."

"Isn't that-?" He paused. He'd been about to ask if that wasn't a little too much like a date, but that felt silly. Sure, people took their girlfriends to the cinema but so too had his mom and dad taken him and his sisters, and he'd gone with his siblings on other occasions too. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. We should go see what's showing. What kinds of movies do you like?"

"I'm okay with anything, so long as it's not a tragedy."

"I'm more of a Spruce Willis guy myself." He only had a second to decide that was probably a _bad_ thing to boast about, but Pyrrha beat him to it by laughing.

"I liked his last movie."

Jaune froze. "You did…?"

"Sure. The effects were a little much and he can't actually fight as well as he thinks he can, but I could get behind his desire to save his estranged family. I thought he acted that out quite well."

"I heard he's got a new movie out," Jaune said, a more honest smile starting to spread over his face. "Want to check it out?"

"I'd love to."

/-/

"That was awful!"

"I know!" Pyrrha giggled, one hand on Jaune's shoulder for support. She stole a glance at his face and laughed all the harder. Jaune looked positively offended.

"I mean, wow. What the hell? That was… that wasn't just bad, it was…"

"A Bullhead wreck?" she offered.

"Ten Bullheads crashing at once! With Nevermore picking over the remains!"

The sheer passion he said it with was her undoing and she bent double in laughter. The movie _had_ been bad, painfully so, but in some weird way that had made it all the better. She'd heard of `so bad it was good` before, but this was something else.

"T-The final fight," she laughed.

He slapped a hand against his face. "Oh Gods, don't get me started. _I_ can fight better than that, and I'm… I'm me! Hell, I bet you could fight ten times better than he could."

Absolutely. Easily. Anyone else in her position would have been offended, and most normal people would have been shocked there was even a question. Pyrrha didn't stop laughing though. "What about the love interest?" she giggled. "I've never seen a woman so aroused by explosions before."

"Ugh, yeah. Talk about shallow. It was like she loved him before he even appeared on the screen." Jaune snorted. "What a waste of time. You want to grab a pizza or something? I need to wash down the disappointment. Spruce Willis was my childhood hero!"

"Sounds good to me." Pyrrha just about managed to stand without his support. Her face was red, though for once from laughter and not embarrassment. It felt like the awful movie had shattered the awkwardness between them. She appreciated it that, even if nothing more. "Why don't we get something to go, though?" she asked, hoping to avoid sitting in a restaurant with people who were sure to recognise her. "My treat since you bought the movie tickets."

"Are you sure?"

She smiled and nodded, pulling out her purse. "I remembered it this time."

Jaune laughed. "Hey, that's an improvement already. Shall I come with you?"

"And do what? You can't help me carry a pizza with that arm." She nodded to his sling and he blinked, seemingly haven forgotten it himself. She pushed him away before he could offer anyway. "Leave it to me. I think I can handle ordering a pizza. You can wait over there at the park. We can eat while we walk around it." She pointed to a nearby expanse of grass and trees and Jaune nodded. "What do you want?"

He rattled off an easy order, little more than cheese and tomato, and Pyrrha quickly jogged over to the take-out to order it. There was a short queue at it and she joined the back, only for the man behind the counter to stop and stare.

"My word, is that Pyrrha Nikos!?"

Those in the take-out turned instantly. They had sight of her before she could move, before she could even _think_ of what to say or do. She smiled awkwardly, hiding how uncomfortable she was behind a fake smile she'd worn a hundred times before. "Hello."

"My word," the large man repeated, pushing his way around the counter. No one stopped him, not even the woman he'd completely stopped taking an order from. She was staring, too. "Pyrrha Nikos in _my_ store. I cannot believe it! A-Are you here to order?"

"Yes, but I'm happy to wait-"

"Nonsense! Please, please, come. Marco," he called, shouting to a man in the back. "Come and bring a camera. I want a picture for the wall. Pyrrha Nikos, as I live and breathe." The man bellowed a laugh, wrapping a meaty arm around her shoulders. "I was there for your first fight, you know. Such a display!"

"O-Oh, I remember that." She hid her discomfort as she was brought to the front of the take-out. "It was a good fight. My opponent was very skilled."

"But not as skilled as you," he cheered. "Didn't he quit the scene after that?"

"Yes…"

Because of her, mostly. She remembered confronting him after, asking why he wanted to quit, and having it explained that he hadn't even been able to touch her, that he'd been humiliated. She hadn't just beaten him – she'd crushed him. He never recovered his confidence and quit soon after. What point was there in continuing when the Invincible Girl forever stood between you and any chance of winning?

Her Agent had called it childish and told her to ignore it, but it was impossible to ignore just how many bright-eyed youths had quit after facing her. They'd thought themselves strong, or at least capable, but against her they'd tested themselves and come painfully short. Most never recovered that drive, that confidence that she took on the end of her spear and splintered on the ground.

A camera flashed. Pyrrha's smile was automatic, plastic. More flashes came as those in the crowd took their own pictures, many begging for her to pose with them. She nodded and did so, answering questions with a yes or no where required but nothing more. Someone touched her hand, someone else her back, and there was even one who reached for her hair but missed as she twisted aside.

Smiles and laughter, words written on paper, hands around her shoulders, some lower than they ought to. She kept her back straight through it all and pretended to remember the names of the twenty or so people who asked her to dedicate a fight to them. Her hand ached from the messages she had to write when signing her autograph. Someone spilled mayonnaise on her blouse.

She felt dirty and used, even before the man took her order, cooked her pizza, and then assured her she needn't pay for it. "It's enough that I have proof you came here," he laughed, indicating his scroll. "That someone like you would eat at a place like this – people will be amazed!"

"I'm glad for you," she said, smiling weakly. "I-I have to go, though. Thank you for the meal." She nodded to the boxes in her hand and slid toward the door. She didn't miss how a few people did the same, eschewing their meals in favour of following her.

Unfortunately, there seemed to be a problem with the door after she left, because they got stuck trying to open it. The lock had jammed. The metal lock. She fled back to the park, eyes wide as she looked for Jaune. He was sat on a small wall, having given up the seat there for an obviously pregnant woman. She hurried towards him.

"Pyrrha," he said, smiling and standing. "You managed-" He saw the state of her. Not just her outfit, but her expression. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Can we move along a little?" she asked, taking his arm and dragging him before he could even think to ask why – or even answer at all. "I, um, I saw the person from Beacon I was arguing with," she lied. "I wanted to avoid them. You don't mind, do you?"

"N-No?"

"That's perfect. Thank you, Jaune." Her Semblance would have faded by now, so she dragged him into the trees and off the main path, behind a thick bush where they couldn't be seen. No feet stampeded past, so she figured she must have lost them entirely.

Jaune was staring at her in confusion.

"It's complicated," she said, laughing nervously. She hefted a small box up. "Pizza?"

"Sure." He smiled and took the box, pinning it against his chest and opening it up to take a slice. He didn't question her story, nor did he ask for a further explanation – and for that she felt nothing but the utmost gratitude. "So, we're going to do something different next time, right?"

"Next time?"

"Next time we hang out," he said. "I mean, that movie was a pretty big bust."

Next time. Next time, next time, next time. Two simple words, and yet ones that had never sounded as good as they did at that moment. He wanted there to be a next time, maybe even more than one. She fixed a fake smile to her face again, but this time it was in reverse. Had he known just how much those words meant to her, she had a feeling he'd have run for his life. She smiled like a professional so that he wouldn't see her grin like a child.

"Definitely something else," she said. "Maybe I'll come up with the idea next time."

"Heh. I'll look forward to it."

 _Me, too,_ Pyrrha thought, nibbling on some pizza with a guy she'd just met, hidden behind a bush in a central park. The night couldn't have been any more perfect, and what was more the police sirens that rushed by prevented any of her stalking fans from hearing their muffled laughter.

/-/

Pyrrha was still on cloud nine by the time she reached Beacon. From ten in the morning until seven in the afternoon – a full _nine hours_ spent out in Vale with a friend. It was something she'd never experienced before, and even though that felt like such a ridiculously long time, she wished there could have been more.

There had been a few close calls, though. The person selling tickets in the cinema had recognised her and even said her name. Luckily, the queue behind had complained about the wait and he'd been forced to let her through without making a scene of it. After that she'd hidden in the bathroom while Jaune bought them some snacks, and only come out when it was time to go inside. The dark lighting inside had prevented anyone else from getting a good look at her.

 _I'll have to think up a better solution in future,_ she thought. _People are bound to recognise me eventually. Maybe I should tell him…_

The thought sent her stomach into tight knots and she dismissed it soon after. She would eventually, but not now. Jaune was fun to hang out with and made her feel like she was actually _liked_ as a person. Maybe he'd be the same once he found out, but maybe he wouldn't. Could she really give up on the happiness she had now?

 _It doesn't hurt him not to know. It's not like I'm lying about having a contagious disease or something._ Besides, everyone had secrets. That was normal. It would be better if they became strong friends first, and then she could reveal it when she was ready. It would give her the most time to plan the best way to handle it.

And maybe they could become even closer friends before then.

"Ahem. Miss Nikos?"

Pyrrha's heart fell. She recognised the voice, and the tone, and neither spelled well for her. She turned to face Miss Goodwitch, who was stood behind her with arms crossed and lips pulled down into a wide frown. It looked like it was time to pay the price for her actions.

Though even then, she didn't regret them. She felt better now than she had ever before. She'd practically been on a date with a guy.

"And where have you been today, Miss Nikos? I understand from Doctor Oobleck that you were absent from his lesson. You also missed mine."

Lying would have been pointless. Even if Miss Goodwitch didn't see right through it, she was in casual clothing and not her uniform. The Bullheads also had full record of where she'd been. "I was in Vale."

"During lessons today?"

Pyrrha winced. "Y-Yes."

"And were you by any chance fighting terrorists in the flaming remains of a warehouse district on the docks?"

Pyrrha stared at the older woman. That… was curiously specific. "Um. No?"

"Then you have even less excuse than Miss Belladonna," Glynda snapped, making Pyrrha flinch and look down at her feet. "Of all the people I would expect this from; you were not at the top of that very small list. I hope I will not have to discuss this with you again."

"I'm not in trouble?"

"Did I say that, Miss Nikos? Detention with myself, tomorrow afternoon and for the day after. If you value your free time more than you do the education we can provide, then perhaps depriving you of that will be a suitable punishment. Am I understood?"

Thursday and Friday. That was two days where she wouldn't be able to visit Jaune's and spend some time with him, although she'd still have the weekend. That was enough. It would have to be. "I understand, Miss Goodwitch. I'm sorry about today."

"You're fortunate I have more pressing matters to deal with or I would drag you to the headmaster to explain yourself now. As it is, Miss Belladonna has left me with more than enough paperwork thanks to her little stunt." Glynda shook her head, and then snapped her attention back to Pyrrha. "Well, what are you waiting for? Move along!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!"

Pyrrha kept her head low as she fled, hurrying back to her dorm. It was just as much to hide her smile as it was from shame. She didn't think Miss Goodwitch would appreciate it. Well, the detentions would be bad – and people would whisper, too. That didn't dampen her smile, nor did her team's odd looks her way as she bustled into the dorm and hurried to her wardrobe. They might have asked where she was all day, or why she hadn't let them know she was skipping, but they didn't bother, and she didn't bother to tell them. Her smile didn't even waver when Russel looked her way and snorted, going back to reading a text book he had open on is lap.

None of it mattered. Not anymore.

/-/

"You do realise I'm closed today."

"Do I look like I care right now?" Roman sagged down onto one of the seats and fanned his face with his hat. "I've had a hell of a night and it's probably about to get worse for me. Give me something strong – and a slice of something so sweet it'll rot my teeth."

Neo waved her hands in the air like a person signalling a landing Bullhead.

"She'll have the usual."

Jaune sighed and went behind the counter to serve them. Even if it was his day off, the two looked like they needed a drink, though if he were honest Roman looked like he needed something stiffer than coffee. He prepared their drinks, brought out a larger-than-average slice of chocolate cake with cream, and then spooned four different flavours of ice-cream into a bowl and pushed a wafer into it.

He staggered back carrying all of it on a tray propped between his arm and his chest, nodding his thanks when Neo reached up to take it with a wide grin.

"Sounds like you've had a tough night," he said.

"A tough night? That doesn't even _begin_ to describe the fiasco I just went through. Bloody animals!"

Jaune blinked. "Don't you work in removals?"

"Yeah, of course." Roman waved a hand, sipping from his cappuccino. "Ah, that's good. So, we were out removing some stuff – as usual – when this bloody girl and her pet _cat_ got stuck underfoot. You know how they do, always sticking their noses where it doesn't belong."

"Little girls or cats?" he had to ask.

"Both!"

Well, he didn't know much about either of those things, but maybe it was a hazard of the job in removals. Family members, pets, or maybe just inquisitive children making Roman's life harder. He could imagine the problems that might cause if you were carrying delicate things. "You tripped?"

"You might say that. I had some `associates` with me and they proved about as useful as a chocolate chisel. Spent all their time chasing the stupid thing around but never managed to catch it, then the weird girl got involved and it all went down the drain. Idiots, the lot of them!"

"What happened?"

"Dropped some of the stuff, lost some more." Roman bit into his cake and continued with his mouth half-full. "Boss is going to be _pissed_ after this. Hm. You mind if I bring her some cake? Might save my ass."

"I'll have a platter made up for you," he promised.

"Ah, you're a good kid. Best in the city, I swear. Seriously, though, don't get a cat. They're not worth it."

"I think I know what you mean," Jaune said, smiling at the thought of Blake finally meeting back up with her team. "I had a stray staying here for the last night or two. It was a bit of a hassle."

"You find her owners?"

"Yeah." In a manner of speaking, though he was sure Blake would hiss if she heard him say that. Yang would find it hilarious. "I got her back to her family."

"I'm not sure we're even talking about the same things anymore."

"Maybe we're not…"

Jaune and Roman shared a long look, before they burst into laughter. Yeah, Blake would kick his ass if she knew he'd talked about her like that, but it wasn't like he could tell Roman he'd been playing bunk to some random girl. The guy would tease the hell out of him.

"Ah, that's better," Roman said. "I needed a good laugh. You're a godsend, kid. Even my boss thinks so. She keeps saying she can't wait to come back and sample what you have to offer."

"Well, hopefully I'll be able to," he said.

Roman caught the hesitation. "Something wrong?"

"Just some competition," Jaune said, trying to make light of it. "A rival company has been pretty aggressive lately. They've even decided to open a coffee shop not five doors down."

"A little place?" Roman asked.

"No. It's a big chain. Café Prime."

"I know them. Standard coffee, standard service, standard everything. If I order something from there it barely tastes any better than what I can make in my kitchen. Can't stand the place. I can't stand mediocrity."

"Well, you _are_ a little… uh… flamboyant."

Roman raised an eyebrow at that, flicking his orange hair back. "I'll take that as a compliment, but only because I'm not going to bite the hand that brews for me. Not when you've only got one hand left. This Café Prime, though. They causing you problems?"

"It's just a little competition. I don't really like to talk about it." Jaune sighed and sat down, feeling a little awkward doing so – but it was his day off and it wasn't like there were any other customers to serve. "Everyone keeps asking if I want help, but this is normal. Companies compete with one another and I need to prove I can do this on my own. I don't like complaining about it."

"Why?"

"Because it makes me feel weak," he admitted. "I doubt they complained when _I_ showed up."

"You'd be surprised, and besides, it's not like they're going at you one-on-one. This isn't a fair fight and there's no weakness in accepting a little help every now and then. Why do you think I have Neo with me?"

"That's different. She's your assistant, and besides, you probably need her to help with heavy lifting."

"And you needed your new employees to help you run this place," Roman pointed out. "I'm just saying make sure it's not your ego keeping you from accepting help. Café Prime will do whatever they can, and if that means asking people for help, they'll do it. There's pride to be had in beating them back on your own, but that pride can trip you up if you're not careful."

Neo evidently agreed, placing a hand on his knee and nodding her head. He wasn't quite sure how but she managed to make the motion – even while she had a spoon sticking out of her mouth – vaguely reproachful.

They didn't have the full story, though. They weren't right… were they? No, this wasn't him being egotistical. He'd failed to get into Beacon and this was his chance to prove he wasn't a screw-up. He had to do it on his own, otherwise what was the point? Sure, he could rely on the Malachites, and maybe Roman, and even Team RWBY and CFVY. Hell, there were plenty of loyal customers who might help, but that would mean he was using them to do his dirty work.

"I'll keep it in mind, Roman. I promise. Let's talk about something else, though. Okay?"

"Hm, if you say so." Roman popped another bite-sized chunk of cake into his mouth and licked his fingers clean. "So, you found any nice girl to bring back and shag, yet? Any pretty girls you spending your time with?"

Jaune's mind – treacherous as ever – flashed to what he'd spent the day doing. His cheeks flushed.

And Roman, damn him, noticed immediately.

"Oooh…"

* * *

 **Heads up; still sick. It's not over-working as some have expressed concern on, or at least I don't think it is. My whole family came down with flu a week or so back and I was the only one who didn't catch it. Turns out I did, lol. Just delayed.**

 **I skipped the dock fight scene here because a) it's not the focus of a story like this, and b) you've seen it all before. I let Penny meet Blake to facilitate a resolution to that, and yes, I kind of just leave you to accept that Penny and Blake could handle it. I'm sure there is plenty of room to question that, but again, it's just not the focus of this story. The focus was on how Jaune helps with it, not only in terms of providing Blake information, but also helping her make up with her team.**

 **On Pyrrha, well, if it seems unusual for her to break the rules for something like this, then rest assured that is the point. I wanted to portray a Pyrrha who doesn't get Jaune, Ren and Nora, and who does have to live with her `no one sees me as who I am` problem. I know the show mostly ignored it apart from Weiss (and only Weiss) mentioning it in a single episode, but since she basically told Jaune that everyone saw her as her title and name, I wanted to explore how that might actually be.**

 **She probably feels a little desperate here, but I can't help but think she felt that in the show. She** _ **did**_ **spear Jaune to a tree, after all. All because he'd not recognised her name. That is a** _ **little**_ **forward of her, and it'll have only gotten worse since Beacon didn't deliver on what she hoped for. Anyway, she'll be absent for the next chapter or two, mostly due to her detentions. I know it's been a bit Pyrrha-focused last few chapters, but Team RWBY, Velvet and Russel will come back next chapter.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 13** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	16. Chapter 16

**Ooh boy, I'm not sure why this fic has to become my personal disclaimer fic, but here's another – absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Or, to put it bluntly, my not writing about someone – or something – does not mean I despise them. Case in point with Sun with the last chapter where I received at least six different people messaging me to ask if and why I hated Sun as a character…**

 **Honestly, I don't. I actually like him. Sadly, he doesn't grow into his own until much later in the series and I just didn't have any need for him here and none of my fics have entered season 4 or 5 territory, so all that goodness he has hasn't happened. That's not me hating on him; it's just me trying to cut out a huge cast of characters down to a manageable number. He gets teased in White Sheep because that fic is a comedy, but also because Sun's introduction pre-V4 is literally as a man who would hide outside a girl's window listening to her conversation with her team. I mean, that is pure stalker level right there, so I played with that for comedy.**

 **I got the same with Dove too on this fic, which is just bizarre. He's such a minor character that I'm not even sure how I** _ **could**_ **hate him. He just didn't slot into the teams because reasons, that's all. Just because I don't write about someone, or even some demographic, doesn't mean I hate them.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 16**

* * *

Velvet used her spare key to open the front door of the diner and practically charged inside, her eyes wide. She caught sight of Jaune by the counter, rubbing his forehead, and surged over. "Have you heard the news?" she gasped.

"I've heard the news," he sighed. "If the news is Café Prime setting up a diner just down the road, that is."

"Oh… you already know. What are we going to do?"

"Not much we can do. We'll continue on as we always have and beat them at their own game. We've only got two days until our next dress-up session anyway, so we've got to think of a theme for that. Any ideas?"

Velvet's panic came back with a vengeance. She'd known there was something she needed to do, but Coco had distracted her yesterday with some stupid horror movie, and then she'd spent the rest of the night jumping out of closets to try and scare her, until she succeeded and ate a frightened foot to the face for the effort. Coco hadn't tried again, quickly learning what happened when you startled a rabbit-faunus huntress.

Either way, she'd not spent any time thinking up a fancy dress scheme, despite saying she would. Velvet hummed to try and stall for time, eyes flicking around the diner for inspiration. It wasn't helpful. Not unless she wanted a coffee-shop themed coffee-shop day.

Her eyes landed on Jaune's sword, collecting dust on the wall. "How about a fantasy theme?"

"Fantasy?"

"Y-Yeah, you know – mythical fantasy." It was an idea pulled out of nowhere but it grew on her and she ran with it. "You could dress up as a knight or a king, while Russel can be some kind of rogue with a rapier. I can dress as a…" Coco flashed into mind, holding up a tavern wench costume. Velvet's face went white. "I can find an outfit to wear."

"Maybe a dress?" Jaune suggested. "You could go as a princess."

"I'll think of something," she deflected. Dresses weren't her style, especially not if she had to flit between tables and serve drinks. The chance of tripping and face planting into something was just too high. It was fantasy, not history, so she could go as an elf archer or something, or maybe some kind of weird rabbit druid.

Jaune tapped his chin, humming. "It's not a bad idea. I've got a feeling Ruby would be over the moon if I asked her to help come up with designs for the shop and the theme is common enough that the fancy dress store might have some fake armour or crowns. I'll tell Russel when he comes in later and see if he wants me to order him something. Tell me if you do, too. Or just bring me the receipt and I'll cover it."

Velvet nodded, pleased that she'd helped come up with an idea and, if she dared admit it, a little excited at the prospect herself. Fantasy was right down her street; especially compared to the buxom pirate wench she'd been before. It was a love of fantasy novels that inspired her to become a huntress.

Also, Coco. Her partner would practically _die_ for a chance to dress her up like some kind of cosplaying fantasy character. _Mental note, make sure she doesn't go overboard. I don't want it to be too expensive..._

For the rest of the morning shift she helped set up the shop as per schedule, handling all the heavy lifting so her injured boss didn't have to, all the while he mused with pen and paper at the counter, drawing up some ideas for fantasy decorations. When she was done he handed her a list of goods to be collected from Marron and she headed out with the red trolley pulled behind her, humming to herself as she headed to the friendly and effeminately-named baker. Sure, he'd been intimidating at first but Jaune had been spot on with his hints on how to worm her way into the man's heart.

The man was like Professor Port, except with stories of his daughters instead of slaying Grimm, and pictures of cute kids in different outfits and playing in sand pits rather than trophies of past battles. It was actually adorable.

Vale was actually rather empty at six in the morning, although some people still walked around – those ending night shifts or people who had to wake up early for work like she did. Dragging a trolley around would have been a problem with crowds otherwise. Unfortunately, the moment she reached Marron's, the trolley halted, catching on something.

"I'm so sorry," Velvet said automatically, turning. "I didn't mean to hit…" The words died in her throat. There were four men behind her, or boys, really. They were about sixteen to eighteen, though one – slightly taller – might have been twenty or twenty-one. He had a foot on her trolley, pinning it in place.

"Oh, you didn't mean to, huh?" he asked, grinning nastily. "Shit, guys. The animal didn't mean to bump into us. Isn't that a riot?"

The others laughed and fanned out, surrounding her as best they could against the stone wall while the one in charge kept her trolley pinned down. Each was bigger than her, and while she didn't feel particularly _afraid_ of them, she did withdraw in on herself a little. "L-Look, there's no need for this," she stammered. "I'm just trying to do my job…"

"She's just trying to do her job," one of them mimicked, voice high-pitched and cruel. "What job? Who would hire someone like you?"

"Maybe she's one of them bunny sluts," another laughed. "You know, people have fetishes like that. Maybe that's her bed," he nodded to the trolley. "You here for your newest customer, bunny girl?"

"Dude, that's sick. Don't even joke about doing something like that with an animal."

Velvet's ears drooped. Her brown eyes darted down and she bit her lip. If Coco were here… but she wasn't, and she'd never been good at dealing with this. Beating them up wouldn't solve anything, and even if she was stronger than all of them it didn't stop her feeling small and insignificant. She hated it.

A door slammed open behind her. "What's the meaning of this?" Marron snarled, striding out. He took one look at the situation, her, and the four adolescents in front of her. "You lot hassling my customer? You got a lot of guts there." He cracked his fists, the actions causing his large muscles to bulge and ripple threateningly.

Three of the four backed off instantly, intimidated by his size, but the one – the eldest – stood firm and spat at the baker's feet. "What of it, old man? You fucking this stupid bitch or what? Leave out if you don't want to start something."

"But maybe I do want to start something. I'm right here, aren't I?"

The leader hesitated. It was clear his friends weren't going to chip in, and no doubt a prospect of going up against someone like Marron wasn't an appealing one. He'd look good if he won, but if he didn't then he'd lose the respect of his friends. That wasn't a risk worth taking and he removed his foot, kicking Velvet's trolley back so that it slammed into her shins.

"Sorry. I don't beat up old people." He cocked his head, accepting the laughter of his cronies. "Do whatever you want. Just don't come crying when you pick up some disease from her. Come on, guys. Just standing here is making me feel sick."

The others laughed and huddled together, one turning to make a rude gesture towards her as they departed, swaggering down the street like they owned it.

"Bloody brats," Marron gritted out. "You see them around every so often, causing trouble like it means something." He eyed her and his snarl softened. "Don't take any of that seriously, lass. They say shit like that to everyone – humans included. They're just looking to cause trouble. Show them a little backbone and they run away hurling insults like that."

"It's fine. I'm used to it."

The answer, casually given, seemed to upset him even more. "Not around here you're not, or you better not be. I'll not be having that kind of nonsense said anywhere near my store." He took the trolley from her and ushered her inside. The smell of freshly baked and baking bread, sweets and treats filled the air, relaxing her somewhat. "Why do you put up with that? You're a huntress. Couldn't you just knock them all out?"

"I could…"

"Then why not?"

"Because it wouldn't change anything…" Velvet sighed and refused to meet his eyes. "If I use violence to get what I want, I'll be no better than the White Fang - or them. And they'd just go after someone else, someone weaker, and take out what I did on them. It's better if I just ignore them."

"It would be, but you're not," Marron pointed out. "I saw as clear as day what they were saying bothered you."

"None of it was true."

"Not saying it was, missy. Still, if you're going to claim you're not fighting back because you want to ignore them, then maybe you ought to actually try that."

 _It's not that easy,_ she thought, sighing as Marron went to collect her order. She knew it shouldn't bother her, especially since she knew it was all nonsense, but that was the problem – she didn't have thick enough skin to not let it bother her. Even if they couldn't hurt her, even if she outclassed them entirely, the insults still stung.

Yatsuhashi said it was a confidence thing, or a nerves thing. Hopefully her work would help her get past that as well. Fighting wasn't the answer though, no matter how satisfying everyone told her it might be. What did attacking people who couldn't hope to defend themselves prove? That she was as bad as them? That she could beat people into submission instead of proving faunus deserved equality?

Yeah, right. That was the thinking of a terrorist.

"Here you are, Vel," Marron said, carrying back two large crates, one under each arm, and helping to secure them on the trolley. "You be careful on the way back, hear me? It's one thing not to fight to prove a point, but if they try and damage my cakes, you better knock them down a peg – or I will!"

Velvet giggled. "I'll do my best."

"Another thing," he added, catching her shoulder before she could leave. The man's expression darkened. "I had someone come by yesterday and take out a contract with me. I'd have turned them down but it's business and… well…" Marron sighed and looked away. "I know it's not on, but a man has to make a living. I'm hoping you and Jaune won't think any less of me for it."

"For what…?"

"That new café opening up nearby, Café Prime. They've asked me to ship them cakes and treats each morning, same kind of deal as yours."

Velvet's face fell. "Oh…"

"Argh, don't look at me like that. I'm not so well off that I can turn away a paying customer. I want the best life I can make for my girls."

"No, no, it's fine." She waved her hands to reassure him. "Jaune won't be upset either, I promise. Business is business, right?"

"Yeah. Still, the whole thing stinks so I thought I'd let you know in advance. Don't want it to be a nasty surprise when they start selling the same as you. I look after my customers as best I can, though obviously that doesn't mean I can pick favourites or sabotage others. I'll make the best batch I can for you, and nothing's going to stop that."

"Thank you, Marron, and thank you for telling me." Velvet bowed slightly. "I'll tell Jaune and make sure he knows."

"Yeah. Look after yourself, Vel." Marron still looked uncomfortable, shuffling awkwardly. It was an odd image for a large, muscled man in a flour-stained apron. "I don't want to see you guys go under – and that's for more than just business reasons. Jaune's a good lad – and you're a good lass. No matter what some shit-stains say."

Velvet smiled, even if it didn't reach her eyes. With a nod and a farewell she tugged the trolley away, making the trip back to the diner. Luckily, no one bothered her en route. Unluckily, that left her to dread what was coming.

One thing was for sure; Jaune had to be told.

/-/

The day progressed peacefully and Russel arrived a good thirty minutes before Team RWBY did, the young man coming still in his school uniform and just getting changed directly into his work one. His shift didn't start for fifteen, so Jaune filled him in on the details.

"So, they're going to copy us in every way." Russel sighed, arms crossed. "That's pretty cheesy, though not a bad idea. I'm guessing they'll cut prices to drive ours down."

"Should we do it first?" Jaune asked. "I don't make that much money off Marron's cakes, but I can afford to lose a little…"

"It wouldn't matter if you did. They can afford to make a loss if they have to, and they happily will to drive you out. A price war is something the bigger company wins every time. You'd be better off not getting roped into it and working on other areas. People will pay a premium for quality, so we should try and be seen as more up-class." Russel paused. "Is Velvet working this afternoon?"

"After her lessons, yes. Why?"

"Curious. Fantasy weekend, then?"

"Velvet's idea," Jaune said, grinning. "I liked it."

"It's not a bad one. Since our customers are mostly huntsmen and huntresses, they won't be bothered by weapons either. It'll be a hit with any kids coming by, too. Even if their mothers are nervous around our type, they might come in for a drink just to distract the crying brats." He shivered. "Ugh, I hate kids."

"And yet you serve them with a huge smile, kind words, and a joke to make them laugh," Jaune pointed out.

"I-"

"Leave your issues at the door, I know." It was honestly impressive how much the other guy could do that, essentially becoming the perfect employee if he had to. Russel really was a hit with the kids as well, once they got over his scary hair. He normally had them giggling with his antics. That was good since Jaune wasn't that confident with them himself.

"Prejudices, too," Russel said. "Kids are a pain in the ass but a customer is a customer. And speaking of pains, my partner got thrown in detention today for skipping school." He chuckled. "Didn't think she had it in her. She's always been such a prissy teacher's pet."

"You're still at odds with her?"

"What do you mean still? It takes two to tango and she won't talk to me, either. Trust me. I tried." Russel sighed and looked over Jaune's shoulder. His scowl morphed into a grin. "Looks like your little fan club is here. I'll handle the customers. Have fun, boss."

"My fan club?"

"Jaune!" Ruby yelled happily, slamming both hands down on the counter. "I need coffee!"

Fan club… Jaune rolled his eyes, turning to see Team RWBY – all of Team RWBY, thankfully – stood on the other side of the counter, Weiss sternly rebuking Ruby for being rude while Yang rolled her eyes and Blake pretended no one existed while she read a book. Beacon was out, it seemed. Odd that Pyrrha hadn't come around but maybe she was busy.

"One coffee coming up," Jaune replied, quickly brewing the blackest and meanest he could. He slid it in front of Ruby, who stared down at it with a mixture of disgust and betrayal. "What?" he asked when she glared at him. "You asked for coffee."

"Real coffee, _please_ ," she added, pouting at him adorably.

He didn't bother to point out her definition of `real coffee` was flawed, and instead made her usual mix of whipped cream, caramel and espresso, which she gleefully accepted and began to devour. He made a similar one for Yang, and then Weiss and Blake's favourites. Weiss accepted hers with a quick word of thanks, while Blake – uncharacteristically – lowered her book and smiled honestly at him as she took hers. "Thank you, Jaune," she whispered.

Heh. Maybe things had worked out after all. "No problem."

"Team RWBY is back together," Yang said, filling in the gaps. "Blake told us what you did for her – thanks for that, by the way."

"Yeah," Ruby said, mouth full of cream, "even if you did – mm – fib to me."

"Because I asked him too," Blake countered, "and it bothered him to lie to you, Ruby."

"I know. That's why I forgive him!" Ruby beamed at him, making her lack of a grudge as clear as day. He smiled back, relieved to have helped and not to have thrown himself under the bus with her. He'd done the best he could, after all.

"I think I should apologise too," Weiss added. "I said some… ill-thought things here. I hope you don't think less of me for it."

"Not at all," he said. "You were upset."

Weiss nodded her thanks – and the conversation quickly moved onto less troublesome things, like how the girls were doing at Beacon and what it was like. A while back the topic would have bothered him but it no longer did. He listened with rapt attention as they explained a field trip to a forest of red trees, and again to how Ruby dismantled someone twice her size in a spar that took fifteen full minutes of dodging and chipping away at an aura far greater than hers. There was some embellishment, he was sure. Weiss' eye rolls gave it away. Still, Ruby was too excited and animated to be stopped and he enjoyed the story nonetheless.

In turn he told them about Café Prime – which for the expected anger – and about the weekend's theme, which got the expected excitement from Ruby, whose eyes practically glowed silver. "I'll be going as a knight or a king, I think."

"A knight!?" Ruby practically hissed, teeth gritted together, eyes wide.

"Or a king," he added, leaning back.

"Nope! No way. Nuh-uh." Ruby shook her head and then, for good measure, crossed both arms before her. "You're going as a knight. It's decided."

"By who?"

"By me," she said, obviously. "Duh."

He wasn't quite sure how to counter her completely fallible logic.

"And according to Weiss," Ruby added. "And she's your business consultant thingie, so you have to listen to her."

"Thingie?" Weiss drawled.

"I'll be a dummy for you to practice your dust glyphs on."

"Deal." Weiss' eyes narrowed. "Arc, you're going as a knight."

It really wasn't worth arguing, especially when he wasn't completely against the idea anyway and Yang was busy laughing herself silly in the background. Knights were cool. He wasn't too fussed about being a king. "Okay, okay. I'll see if I can't get some armour borrowed from somewhere – but only a little. My arm's still not great and I have to move around in it all day."

"I'll capitulate on the armour," Ruby said, impressing both him and Weiss that she even knew what the word meant. "But only if you wear a cape. A purple, blue or red cape."

"Sure." Jaune shrugged. "Capes are cool."

Yang groaned. "You didn't just say that…"

Ruby's eyes sparkled.

"Well, there go all our efforts to get Ruby to stop wearing a cape with her school uniform," Blake said. "Thanks for that. I'm sure Miss Goodwitch will be thrilled."

"He understands…" Ruby whispered. "Someone understands!"

Velvet arrived before he could be blamed further and Jaune took the chance for what it was, slipping away to hand her the key to his apartment so she could get changed in peace. She came back down a few minutes later, now in her black and white uniform and prepared for the afternoon. She looked more confident than she had the last time, probably because Thursday afternoons were fairly quiet, but he hoped it was also a sign of her mounting confidence.

Once his arm healed he wouldn't need help in the mornings, which meant that unless Velvet became good enough to work as a waitress all the time, he wouldn't have any reason to keep her on. She was on her way to it, capable of holding a conversation and chatting with customers, but he could only hope she took more inspiration from Russel.

With the two of them busy he made his way back behind the counters, serving a pair of huntsmen who had come forward to order, Team RWBY retreating to their own table – which was fast becoming their regular haunt – in the corner. Despite the threat of Café Prime, things weren't looking too bad.

A crash proved him wrong on that front.

Everyone looked towards the disruption, and true to his fears it was Velvet. She had not, however, dropped something. At least not intentionally. There were two guys stood in front of her, younger than her – though barely – and dressed in dark blue hoodies and ripped jeans. One had a chain on his belt, while the other had his hood up over his face. He placed both hands on Velvet's chest and shoved her back. She staggered but managed to catch herself on a table before she fell.

Jaune was already moving, whispering a quick apology to the people he'd been serving as his temper mounted. What the hell was going on?

Team RWBY caught sight of him too, and stood just as quickly, Yang probably sensing he was about to do something stupid – like get in between the guys and Velvet regardless of his injury. She moved and caught him by his good arm. "Are you mad?"

"They're abusing my employee," he hissed, furious.

"I know. Let _us_ deal with it." Yang nodded to Blake and Weiss who were already moving, while Ruby stood to do the same. Several other customers also did so, huntsmen and huntresses all, and the guys who'd pushed Velvet seemed to have no idea of the danger they were in.

Russel beat them all to it, however.

"Is there a problem, fellers?" the lanky teen asked, stepping in the way of the next shove so that the person's hands were knocked away. Russel was smiling brightly, as if he couldn't tell what was going on or hadn't seen anything.

"Fucking animal is what's wrong," one of the teens spat.

"Oi, calm it," the other said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. The first was shaved bald, though this one had his hoodie up. Even so, his smile was cruel and mocking. "He isn't a beast like them, so cool your jets." He looked Russel up and down. "Look man, we were just having a word with the girl serving us, got it? Her service wasn't up to standard."

"Velvet is new here," Russel admitted. "I can help. What's the problem?"

"The _problem_ is that those creeps need to go back to their filthy island and stay there!"

Several of the customers gasped. Velvet's eyes watered. Jaune's narrowed into slits, even if he didn't understand the slur fully. Russel, however, remained calm.

"That doesn't sound like a problem with her service."

"The problem is her," the shaved one growled.

"I think I get that. Doesn't make much difference, though. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

The two squared their shoulders. Their hands left their pockets and they suddenly looked a lot more alert. "Excuse me?" the second asked dangerously. "I don't think I heard you right."

"I think you did. Your views aren't welcome here. Leave." Russel showed no sign of awareness, of readiness, and radiated a strange sense of professional calm. Team RWBY had halted in their path, watching the display but refusing to sit down. No one in the café spoke or moved. Everyone was watching the confrontation.

The one with the shaved head snarled. His fist lashed out quickly – so fast that Jaune didn't catch the moment it changed from peace to aggression. He gasped at the exact moment it struck Russel's face, and moved forward to help his waiter.

He needn't have. Russel's head snapped back but he didn't falter. He stood tall, and as he looked at them once more he raised a hand to touch his chin.

"I've had worse."

"Yeah? Well you're about to get worse!" The second flew in, but this time Russel didn't take it. He caught the wrist with one hand, twisted it to the side and then locked it behind the man's back. The second tried to move but was caught unprepared when Russel kicked his friend into him, dragging both to the floor.

He stalked over to them and crossed his arms. "Yeah, I'm from Beacon, by the way." He paused when panic flashed over the faces. "Ah, now you understand. So is she," he nodded to Velvet, "and she could slaughter the two of you if she wanted to. Lucky for you she didn't, but I'm not as nice. I grew up in a rough neighbourhood, so I'm no stranger to a good fight. If you want one, I get off at eight. Do you?"

They shook their heads, suddenly afraid.

"Thought not." He nodded to the door. "Get out."

They did – quickly. The one in the hood turned at the last second, when he was positive Russel couldn't or wouldn't chase him down. Like the coward he was he raised a fist and shouted, "We won't forget this, you animal fucker! Watch your back!"

Russel rolled his eyes. "I'm petrified." With a sigh he strode over to Velvet. "You okay?"

"Y-Yes." The faunus looked startled, more so at Russel than what had happened. She looked away. "T-Thanks."

"Tell me if they bother you again. I'll deal with them."

"Thank you…"

The moment was broken as someone clapped their hands together. Another whistled, and soon all the customers were cheering their support, praising the young man for his actions. Russel accepted it all easily, though Jaune had a feeling Russel would be taking home a lot of tips tonight, as would Velvet from concerned customers. He relaxed his own stance. He wasn't sure what he'd have done. Well, gotten beaten up, really. There was no other ending to him trying to protect Velvet there. Thank the Gods for Russel.

"Well, well, well," Yang whispered. "Who'd have thought it?"

"From Russel of all people," Weiss added, returning to the table. "He handled it well and saved us the effort. I can't complain."

Blake agreed, nodding her head thoughtfully. With her being a faunus, if disguised, it was probably a big issue to her. Still, one thing he couldn't understand was their general surprise. Russel hadn't struck him as the kind to put up with stuff like that and true to form he'd stepped in. The teen's actions seemed obvious to him.

Even so, he shrugged his way out of Yang's grip – and she let him now that the danger was passed – and made his way over to his two employees. Velvet first, since she looked the most shaken. "Are you okay?" he asked. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"I was just shocked," she said, voice quiet and weak. "I'm not hurt."

"Takes more than that to hurt one of us," Russel explained. "You might want to let her take a quick break, though. Wash her face or catch her breath." At his words Velvet looked hopeful and Jaune quickly nodded, telling her to take what time she needed. She rushed off upstairs.

"Will she be okay?"

"I'd imagine so," Russel said. "Like she said it's probably just shock. A hit like that is nothing compared to what she'd get in a spar. She just didn't expect it here. Probably the words that hurt her more."

Jaune nodded, relieved. "Thanks for stepping in."

"No problem. You always get their sort around, especially in a place as big as Vale." Russel sighed. "I better get back to work. Tables aren't going to serve themselves."

/-/

 _What a day,_ Jaune thought, shaking his head. It was a rather weak complaint really, since after the debacle with Velvet being assaulted nothing much had happened, but still. You just didn't expect that in a place like Vale. _I always thought the city was so accepting. I guess when you have enough people in one place there will always be some whose views are like that..._ It put Ansel in a good light, that was for sure. There weren't many faunus back home, but what few there were didn't even know racism was a thing elsewhere. That was why it had been such a surprise for him to discover it was as prolific as it was.

He was about to lock up for the evening when he noticed the shadow outside the door. His first instinct was to sigh and let Roman in, but he realised later the figure was just a tiny bit shorter than the fashionable removals expert. She also had long black hair and golden eyes, though it wasn't Blake that stood before him.

"Oh, you're Roman's friend," he said.

"Associate would be a more accurate term," she replied, smiling at him. It was a beautiful smile, as was the woman herself. He swallowed and tried not to stare. "I know you're closing soon, but can I come in? I was hoping to discuss something with you. The name is Cinder, in case you'd forgotten."

"I remembered," he lied. He definitely remembered her – it was hard not to – but the name had eluded him. Judging from the indulgent smile she shot his way as she entered the diner, she knew. "Would you like a drink? We're closed but I can make one up quickly."

"Something fragrant, if you will. But no caffeine. I don't need a long night."

Jaune nodded and ducked behind the counter, working while the woman sat down at a table near the centre of his diner. She'd liked the blend from Mistral the last time, with a little honey added in if he recalled. He worked with that but left out the espresso, mixing in a caffeine-free blend of herbal beans instead. The result was something that smelled of spice and herbs, rather strong – but then again so was Mistral Red Flower, which was apparently one of her favourite drinks.

Cinder watched as it was brought out and proffered to her. She took the cup daintily and took a sip. "Delicious," she complimented. "You have a talent for this."

"Most of it is from my mom," he demurred, a little embarrassed. "She taught me a lot from when she worked in Vale. But you're probably not here to hear about that," he quickly said, realising he was babbling. It was a terrible habit he had when near beautiful women. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Business, I'm afraid, though that need not be without pleasure." She smiled, and again his heart beat a little faster. "I'm aware your diner closes at ten, but you stayed open a little later for Roman and I the last time. Would you be willing to do that again this Saturday?"

"Well, I guess…" He shrugged. It wasn't like he didn't do it whenever Roman was around anyway.

"It would be a little later. Roman and I need a place to talk discretely – business matters, I'm sure you understand. It would be closer to one in the morning, I'm afraid."

One? On a Saturday evening? Jaune's face fell.

"I wouldn't ask you to do it for no reimbursement," Cinder said. "We would need an hour at most. How does five-hundred lien sound?"

"F-Five-hundred!?"

"Not enough?" Her eyes narrowed. "Six, then."

"N-No, no, no. Five hundred is more than enough. I mean, that's insane." He scratched his head, unsure what to make of it. That was about a quarter of his rent – and for a single night's work. Exhaustion or not he'd be an idiot not to take it. "I can do it if you need me to, but… why? Why so late, and why use my place? What will you be talking about?"

"Business. The work I do can be quite confidential at times. A place to speak frankly is often required, but my… _competitors_ might become suspicious if I were to meet with Roman normally. Sometimes it's hard to find a venue where we won't draw attention." The woman leaned forward to place two fingers on the top of his hand. Her digits felt warm and soft, impossibly so. "And then I recalled the delightful time we had here before, and I wondered if I might combine business and pleasure just this once."

Heat crept up his cheeks. "A-Ah, well…" He stammered and drew his hand back, immediately regretting it and wishing he could put it there again. His cheeks flushed with even more colour. "I-I guess I don't see a problem. It's just… is this normal?"

"More than you'd expect," Cinder said, chuckling. "Business is often done behind closed doors. I just want to take that out of the boardroom and to somewhere a little more comfortable. From what I've heard of yourself from dear Roman, I'd expect you know full well how belligerent the competition can be."

Café Prime and their new copy-cat practices. Jaune groaned. "You have a point there."

"All we'd need from yourself is access to the diner and for you to serve us drinks. I'd have loved to book our meeting earlier in the day, but Roman works nights, as you know. You can keep the doors locked and lights dimmed if you wish, and we'll only need the one table, perhaps this one." She tapped it. "So feel free to clear up the rest. It matters little what state your diner is in. We just need a place to talk without the fear of our competitors listening in."

"And it's just for the hour?"

"If we go over I'll double the dare for every thirty minutes," she promised. "And I shall pay this in advance."

"The place will be decorated like a fantasy kingdom," he admitted, blushing.

Cinder's eyes danced. "I'm sure it will be delightful. Don't worry. We're not so formal as to be offended by something like that. So, do we have a deal?"

It would be a bother but the promise of five hundred lien was too much. He could always sleep earlier, wake up to handle this, and then get back to sleep – and he did have both Russel and Velvet for both days, so maybe they could handle the morning while he slept in. It wouldn't hurt to ask, and Velvet knew everything about getting the shop ready at this point. "Sure. I'd be happy to do it. How many people are coming?"

"Just myself, Roman, Emerald and Mercury. You met them before."

"That's fine. I'll try and have the place looking good for you."

"Don't worry about that, Jaune. Just be your normal self – that's what attracted me in the first place."

To here, he had to tell himself. To his shop. Not to him.

"What's more, I may need this same service a few times in the future, so it should be quite the opportunity for you." She chuckled. "If you play your cards right, that is."

"I'll do my best."

"Glad to hear it." Cinder finished her mug and let out a pleased sigh. She then drew some lien out of her dress, a pile that she placed on the table. The denominations were higher than many he'd seen before, though it all looked perfectly good. "Here's the payment in advance – and a little extra for entertaining me tonight. I'll look forward to seeing you on Saturday."

She stood and turned with a smirk and a wave, sashaying her way towards the exit. His eyes traced down her hair to her hips, noticing how they swayed as she moved. The bell above the door tinkled and she was gone a second later.

"Yeah," he whispered. "I'll be looking forward to it, too."

He shook his head a second later. Bad Jaune! No hormones. Not with someone paying so much to rent his place for a single hour. The lien felt like it was burning a hole in his hand. He'd have to take it to the bank tomorrow, since he didn't feel comfortable having that much in the till overnight. He stuffed it in a pocket instead. He had a little safe in his apartment.

Five hundred lien. It felt like the good luck just kept on pouring in. About time, really. Jaune laughed and moved to the door, locking it and the windows and flicking the lights off.

It looked like the weekend was shaping up to be a busy one.

* * *

 **Sorry for the prolific swearing in this chapter, but I'm genuinely emulating how thug types over here talk. Well, that's a lie. I've taken out a lot of the swear words! It's usually every other word. Anyway, the chapter, things and stuff, and minor conflicts and maybe – just maybe – hints of character development along with some contradictions that will likely raise flags.**

 **On an honest note though, I don't really `hate` any of the RWBY characters. I find some less interesting than others, but it's hard to hate characters in a fictional world. Even if Pyrrha (who plenty of people know I wasn't hugely impressed with – though V3 did her quite well at the end) was resurrected as a Grimm and killed Jaune next season, I wouldn't hate her. I'd just say it was a poor writing decision and ignore it. I really do find it odd when people look at what they believe to be "patterns" in my writing, and use that to decide I have an agenda against people who don't actually exist.**

 **I have stories where Ozpin is a genuinely caring headmaster. I have stories where he is manipulative. I have stories where Blake stars as a main character. I have stories where her stubborn streak gets her in trouble. I have some where Cinder is pure evil. I have some where she is nice, or even a more complicated character. It's just writing. I'm told some people on Reddit have even been spreading stories that I despise Blake, which is just... really? Have you _seen_ how many of my stories she features prominently in? She's in _one_ in a slightly less than ideal light - and even then it's just her being stubborn - and suddenly I hate her and am bashing her. **

**I mean, spoiler, but I actually don't like coffee – and yet Special-Coffee-Chan is a thing and Service with a Smile is an entire fic dedicated to it.**

 **I actually drink tea...**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 27** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey there and we're back. Just to let you know, because I tried to be subtle about it but may have been** _ **too subtle**_ **, but those goons who came by and insulted Velvet in the diner last chapter** _ **were**_ **the same ones from that morning. Or two of them at any rate. I was trying to suggest they followed her back to her place of work to harass her. It wasn't just two random and unconnected cases in the same day. I may not have made it clear, though. I was hoping it would be convenient enough to be implied as being the same people but I could have made it clearer by having Velvet recognise them. My bad.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 17**

* * *

The weekend swept around without any warning, and it promised to be a good one not only because of the private deal he'd made with Cinder, but because Café Prime's new shop hadn't officially opened yet. That was happening during the week, meaning they had a chance to rake in the lien while they could. With their new fantasy kingdom theme, and their matching outfits, they were surely doing that.

Jaune smiled and laughed with a customer from within his knight's outfit, both a capitulation to Ruby and his own secret dreams. He'd gone for a set of armour over a white tunic borrowed from the costume shop and a red cape. It was a little light but that was necessary with all the standing and walking around he had to do. Ruby still proclaimed it awesome and said fancy dress like that was almost enough to make her want to work there. Almost, that was. She'd experience that hell first-hand and didn't want to again.

Russel and Velvet looked equally good in their outfits, Russel going as some kind of rogue in brown and black leather and wearing his knives, while Velvet had dressed up in greens and browns, with little leaf and tree motifs and a skirt that reached down to her knees, split on one side with white cloth flowing under it. She looked like a cross between an archer and a forest sprite, but whatever it was it was a favourite with the male customers. Better still, she seemed more able to laugh and smile through it all than she had the week before. She was relaxing into the job.

The diner itself featured its own new additions in a set of shields with bright heraldry hanging from one wall, and a rich tapestry a local seamstress had been willing to put together for him, a big purple cloth with golden thread depicting the four symbols of Vale, Vacuo, Atlas and Mistral. It wouldn't have done to alienate any potential customers, after all. Beyond that there was a fake suit of armour stood behind the counter on a stand, and his sword hunt on the wall behind him, watching over the store.

There was also an adorable paper cut-out of a dragon blowing fire in the window. A customer's daughter had made it for them and Jaune had been too awe-inspired to say no. People making stuff for him? That was amazing!

The best part was that the theme was working wonderfully. The diner was crammed with people and had been since they'd opened, some just coming by to sate their curiosity and see what crazy outfits the local diner had, while others stayed for longer and even asked to take pictures of themselves with them. Russel handled it as well as ever but poor Velvet had been terrified at first. Luckily, she was photogenic either way, which was a lot better than he could boast. His mom had always said his fake smiles look more like grimaces and it looked like he hadn't grown fully out of that.

All in all, everything looked perfect.

Until, with a clatter of a tray on his counter, it didn't.

It came from Russel, a suddenly, almost antagonistic, slamming of his tray on the counter beside Jaune, who was already deep in conversation with Weiss and Ruby. They all froze, Jaune more than any of them. It was the shock more than the noise, and even Velvet – coming back for some cake she'd been sent for – stared in shock.

Russel's teeth were grinding together angrily. His fingers gripped the wooden tray so hard it creaked. The tray, that was. His fingers just turned white as they dug into it. Before, with a flourish, it was gone entirely. He smiled and slipped back into the crowd, serving whoever needed him most. Even so, the uncharacteristic display was enough to keep Jaune staring.

But it was Weiss who realised the problem. "Oh dear, this is going to be bad."

"What is?" Ruby and Jaune asked at the exact same time. Weiss glared between the two of them, thoroughly unamused at the idea of _two_ of her partner.

"Do you pay no attention in school?" Weiss asked, turning on Ruby and leaving him bewildered. "Use that brain of yours a little, not to mention those eyes. Look who just came in. _Think_ who it is. Ask yourself what relation they have with him."

Ruby stared.

Jaune did, too.

"Hey it's Pyrrha," he cheered.

"Oh no, it's Pyrrha," Ruby groaned. When she caught his surprised, and if he dared admit it a little offended look, she quickly explained. "Not that there's anything _wrong_ with her. It's just that, well, it's a little complicated."

"Pyrrha is Russel's partner," Weiss explained.

Jaune's eyes widened. Oh. Oh dear. That really did explain it, even if he'd never seen the two together. Russel's _issues_ with his team, and more specifically his partner, weren't exactly a well-kept secret, while even in the short time he'd spent with her, it was clear Pyrrha didn't get on with her partner either.

"I didn't realise…"

"Not like it's difficult to not do so," Weiss said. "They avoid one another like the plague and barely talk in one word sentences when forced to. I'm sure Doctor Oobleck despairs of them by now and he's certainly tried enough times to make them work together. To no avail, as you can see…"

He could see, sadly. Russel was keen to avoid Pyrrha's table, serving customers on the other end of the café and – for the first time ever – actually providing a _poor service_ thanks to how distracted he was. His smile was a little too wooden and the girls he was chatting with didn't look quite as enamoured or flustered as they normally might. Jaune realised a second too late that Russel was hoping someone else would serve Pyrrha, saving him the trouble. Sadly, since both he and Velvet were staring at the display in shock, no one did.

To the waiter's credit, he bit the bullet and walked over to her.

"This I have to see," Weiss said, turning in her seat.

"Weiss, don't be mean," Ruby hissed. Despite her words, she also turned to watch.

It was too far away to hear anything but they had a perfect view of Russel approaching with his tray under one arm and a notepad in hand. He stopped before the table and asked for her order. The girl in the seat smiled and looked up. And then froze.

Jaune winced. "Should I do something?"

"See how it plays out," Weiss hissed, shushing him with one hand.

Pyrrha's face made it clear how awkward the moment was. Her eyes widened for a second before she looked down, while Russel kept his gaze fixed firmly over her head, never once meeting her eyes. He said something, as did she in return, and whatever it was it sent Russel into a _rage_. Jaune was honestly afraid he'd have to tackle the normally unflappable employee away, but he collected himself, said something, and nodded once. Turning away, he approached the counter once more, where Weiss and Ruby furiously pretended they hadn't watched the whole affair.

Russel's quick glare towards the backs of their heads said he wasn't fooled. His eyes sought Jaune's a second later and while he didn't quite slam the tray down, it was close. Some cutlery rattled. "She'd rather you serve her," he spat.

"Russel, I'm sure she-"

"Her words," he said, and Jaune's voice cut off. "She specifically said `I'd rather be served by Jaune, thank you`." Russel paused to draw in a deep breath, one designed solely to regain control of his temper. "I'll work behind the counter if you want."

"Do you want to take a moment upstairs to relax? You're due a break…"

"I'm fine."

He wasn't, that much was clear, but there was nothing Jaune could do to force him. Russel was too valuable to the business. If he said he was fine, he was fine. Even so, Jaune nodded once to Velvet, telling her to go out and serve some of the others while he took a tray and pad in his good hand, balancing the notepad on his cast.

"Did she really say that?" he heard Weiss ask Russel as he left to attend to Pyrrha.

"Word for word."

Ouch. Talk about rough. Jaune hesitated on his way to Pyrrha but that couldn't hold when she spotted him and her eyes lit up. She waved in his direction, leaving him to nervously return it. A part of his mind reminded him of how excited he'd been to see her again. That excitement had taken a nose dive.

He couldn't delay forever. With a quick breath he strode forward. "Hey there."

"Jaune," Pyrrha said, smiling brightly. Her eyes trailed up and down his body and it took him an embarrassed moment to realise she was checking out his costume. "That outfit suits you. I didn't realise you'd look so good as a knight."

"This?" He looked himself over, unsure if she really meant it or not. He didn't _feel_ like the outfit suited him. "Ah, it's nothing. Just some fancy dress for the café. I, uh, I heard you wanted me to serve you?"

Pyrrha's smile faded and she glanced down at the table. "Yes, I… ah… it's a little complicated…"

"You're Russel's partner."

"I am." She sounded ashamed to admit it. "I didn't realise he worked here…"

"I doubt he realised you were a customer here." The two shared an awkward moment, with Pyrrha not saying anything and him not sure if he should. Well, he knew he should – Russel was his employee, after all – but he had no idea what. "Is this going to be a problem?" he finally asked, lacking any better, more polite, manner of saying it.

"Huh?"

"Russel. Is him working here going to be a problem for you."

Because if it was, no matter how much he liked her, he'd have to ask her to leave. Russel was invaluable to the place, and as an employer he had a responsibility to look after him. It was something legal, but also something he felt was obligated, too. Both Russel and Velvet worked hard and did their best, and he wouldn't spit on that by letting racists abuse Velvet, or one of Russel's teammates drive him away.

Luckily, Pyrrha seemed to realise that and quickly shook her head. "No! Of course not. I don't want to cause any problems, especially not where he works. It will be fine," she said. She cringed a little. "T-Though maybe it would be better if he and I didn't talk much…"

If so, then there was a problem, wasn't there? He refrained from pointing it out, not wanting to poke the beast and make it worse. He _liked_ Russel and needed him, but he also liked Pyrrha – as in, he genuinely liked her and found her easy to talk to. Even if he knew he'd have to pick Russel if it came to it, he didn't want it to happen.

"I suppose he's told you all about me," Pyrrha suddenly said, looking a little glum.

"Eh?"

"Russel. He's probably filled you in on everything before I got a chance to. I-I didn't want to keep it a secret from you but it's a difficult thing to deal with. I was trying to find the right way to say something, I promise. But… I…"

"Russel hasn't told me anything about your argument," he interrupted.

"O-Our argument…?"

"Whatever there is going on between the two of you. I didn't even realise you were his partner until now, and he never said why you didn't get on. He's a private person like that, though even if he wasn't I don't think he would have told me. It's none of my business."

Pyrrha looked caught somewhere between disbelief and relief. "I didn't- I mean… he hasn't told you about me? Nothing at all?"

"Russel has a very strict way of doing work. Once he's on the job he focuses on the job, and any distractions in his personal life don't factor into it. Since we work together it never comes up. I know he doesn't get on with his partner, but that's it. If I ever ask more he just shuts me down. So, no, he didn't tell me anything about what's going on here. You don't have to, either. You just have to respect that Russel _does_ work here, and that he has a job to do."

"I see…" Pyrrha looked contemplative. "I'm fine with that. It won't be a problem, I promise you that."

"That does mean letting him serve you if he has to," he pointed out. Pyrrha didn't answer, at least not with words, but she did nod after a short pause. It was obvious she didn't like the idea, and what with Russel feeling the same way he wasn't sure it would be a good idea to even try. "But Velvet and I can help you whenever we can," he allowed, earning a relieved smile from the woman.

How complicated was this? Most people didn't get on and then learned to put up with one another, but Russel and Pyrrha were acting like they were exes being forced onto the same team or something.

He almost asked if they were, but recalled Russel having mentioned that they'd gotten on at first but _something_ had happened to ruin it. He doubted that could be a past relationship and Pyrrha had said she came from Mistral, while Russel was from a backwater area in Vale. Long-distance relationships were pretty rare, especially when the only way you could contact the other continent was through a CCT.

"You don't have a problem with Velvet serving you, do you?"

"No, not at all." Pyrrha smiled, and for the first time today it was a relaxed and easy one. "I have no issues with faunus. I don't agree with how some people treat them."

"I don't either. I never realised how bad it could be but she received some abuse the other day. It was honestly shocking."

"I can imagine." Pyrrha looked past his shoulder and it took a quick glance for him to realise she was watching Russel.

"Russel helped her," Jaune explained, earning a surprised sound from her. "He stepped in and pretty much fought the two back. Not a real fight, at least by a huntsman's standards," he added, "but close enough. I think he would have done if it came to it."

Pyrrha, for a moment, looked absolutely sceptical. "Russel helped her? You're sure."

"Yes," Jaune said, unsure if he should be upset on Russel's behalf or not. If he could admit it, he was, and quickly moved to defend his employee. "He's helped Velvet out a couple of times, though it's usually just with being a better waitress of teaching her how to check glasses and mugs to make sure they're clean. He's kind of the head waiter here, I suppose. I run the place but he's the one who keeps it moving smoothly."

Pyrrha opened her mouth to say something but cut off with a helpless shrug. It looked like she'd come to an end on her willingness to talk about her partner, and he realised the conversation was just making her feel worse by dragging out the issue.

"But we can talk about something else," he said, pulling out a seat and sitting down. "How are things in Beacon going?"

"Oh, they're going great," Pyrrha said, smiling once more. "Much better now that I have a friend in Vale to spend time with."

/-/

"I didn't realise they knew one another," Ruby said.

"Jaune gets a lot of custom. I suppose it was inevitable news of him would spread around Beacon," Weiss said. "Even if Pyrrha is a little _detached_ from most people, she still has ears."

"Detached is one way to put it," Russel snorted. "I'd say she's a stuck-up bitch with a chip on her shoulder."

Weiss didn't counter him. Even if she'd wanted to she wasn't sure what she could say. Never let it be said that she considered someone like Russel Thrush a friend – because she totally didn't. He was too rough and ready for one, not to mention his hair – but she could respect what he was, a hard worker and an employee. Though her father might have scoffed at treating the `help` as anything other than money-hungry tools, she had been raised with a little bit of her sister's respect, not to mention Klein's guiding hand.

And really, Russel wasn't as bad as she'd expected. Obviously, that was setting the bar pretty damn low since she'd expected a racist asshole with no common sense beyond a `follow the pack` mentality, but she'd been proven wrong. Quite convincingly, too.

She wouldn't go so far as to say he was a good guy or a decent conversationalist, but he wasn't all that bad. He treated Ruby well, kept his eyes on Yang's, and was always polite to her and Blake. He was the kind of person she wouldn't have begrudged a polite conversation when passing in a hallway.

Though she was sure Ruby would heave a despairing sigh and roll her eyes if she heard their relationship being referred to as that. _Can't you just say you're maybe-friends?_ Ruby would ask. She really didn't understand the finer nuances of a socialite.

"What do you think of them being friends?" Weiss asked Russel, accepting the fresh cappuccino he offered. "Thank you."

"I don't care either way," he said, answering the first question. "Jaune's free to do what he likes, with who he likes. I leave my issues at the door."

"Even when those issues follow you to work?"

He scowled. "Even then."

Weiss hummed. She didn't believe him, of course. He was so tense it wasn't hard to see just how much this did bother him. But she approved of his determination to try and decided not to point it out. Russel was doing his best; she could respect that. "I suppose if I asked what the issue is between you both, I'd be told it was none of my business."

"I'm on the job," Russel said. "You'd get a much more customer-friendly dismissal."

Weiss, despite herself, snorted. While his general attitude left a lot to be desired his dry wit wasn't all that bad. Better than Yang's abominable puns, certainly. "Adorable. Well, so long as you're able to keep it from interfering with your work I'm sure it won't be a problem."

"You could try and fix it," Ruby said hopefully.

"Not a chance," Russel spat. His scowl relented when Ruby flinched back, and for a second he looked visibly distressed to have upset her. Interesting. "I didn't mean it like that," he apologised. "Sorry…"

"It's okay. I didn't mean to pry…"

Weiss sighed and nudged Ruby's foot with her own to tell her partner there wasn't any real reason to feel bad. Even so, for her partner's benefit, she figured she ought to explain. "It takes two to tango, Ruby. It's obvious whatever the issue is it goes both ways. The only means for it to be fixed is if both of them want it to be."

"And she doesn't," Russel said. His smile returned as a customer approached. "Excuse me, I need to deal with this. Hey there, welcome to Jaune's. Oh, Mrs Smithson. How's your mother? She was in the hospital yesterday, right? Is she okay?"

"Oh, Russel – she is. The procedure went perfectly."

"That's great!"

Weiss and Ruby watched him go, surprised, and not for the first time, at how easily he slipped into a conversation with someone he'd probably only met once or twice before. "I swear it still surprises me whenever he does that."

"Yeah, Blake always looks gobsmacked when he does, especially to a faunus."

"Well he _does_ hang out with Cardin."

"I still don't get that," Ruby said. "Cardin's so mean but Russel is nice, and didn't Cardin bully Velvet? Wasn't Russel _with_ them when they did that? I don't know why Velvet doesn't say or do anything. She and Russel are friends."

"They're colleagues," Weiss corrected.

"Same thing. He looks out for her and helps her whenever she needs it, but he bullies her in school."

"It was mostly Cardin who does the bullying. From what I recall Russel stays out of it."

"Yeah, but he doesn't stop it. He would if someone did it here."

That was true, and something that Weiss couldn't explain quite so easily. She didn't try to, and changed the conversation instead. Russel's problems were his own. "So, Pyrrha and Jaune. I didn't see that coming."

"Them being friends?"

"Her being interested in him," Weiss explained, and rolled her eyes when Ruby gasped. "At least I think so. The way her eyes lit up the moment she saw him was an easy indication, and have you noticed how she keeps leaning forward?"

Ruby turned to watch and true to her words Pyrrha had her elbows on the table and her chin on one hand. She was leaned over the table, and beneath it her legs pushed forward, almost touching Jaune's. Ruby saw it and blinked. "Does that mean something?"

"Ruby…" Weiss groaned. Really, how unaware could she be? "Pyrrha's posture speaks of relaxation. Can't you see how at ease she is? Tell me, has she ever looked like that in Beacon?"

"No, but they could just be friends."

"They could be, but you'll also notice what she is wearing."

Ruby inspected Pyrrha, noting not only her short grey skirt and black leggings, but her pale pink cardigan over a cream blouse. It was a warm day in Vale so nothing was too out of the ordinary. Weiss waited, and Ruby, knowing she was expected to say something, wracked her mind for the correct answer. "It looks nice?" she tried.

"It's brand new," Weiss explained with a sigh. "And designer. You can tell because of how clean it is, not to mention her black boots and those shopping bags behind her. I bet she has her usual clothes in there. She came out into Vale specifically to buy brand new clothes and then show them off here."

"Oh…" Ruby's eyes widened. It seemed she'd realised. "Oh wow, I see what you mean."

"And then there is how she might have met Jaune. Do you recall a few days ago that she was absent from class?"

"Yeah, I thought she was sick."

"As did I, but I recently heard she was in detention for skipping school entirely."

Ruby's mouth fell open. "R-Really?" She eyed Pyrrha again. "She doesn't seem like the type…"

"No, and she's never been one to draw attention to herself before. Still, she apparently had time to meet Jaune and get to know him when we didn't notice, and we're effectively regulars here now. So, when would there have been a time possible for that?"

"During the week," Ruby answered. "But she was off all of Wednesday and Jaune doesn't work wed-" Ruby paused. "Oh… oh wow."

Weiss nodded. "Exactly. She learned Jaune had a day off and decided to skip an entire day of school, earning numerous detentions in doing so, to spend it with him. Combine that with the way she's acting now, monopolising his time and attention and, you might have noticed, she hasn't even ordered a drink yet." Mainly because Jaune had been the one to serve her and he'd sat down rather than take her order. Not that Pyrrha was complaining. Quite the opposite. "She is literally here for _him_ and only him."

"Wow." Ruby sounded impressed at her deductions, as she should be. Weiss nodded and sipped of her drink, unprepared for Ruby's words. "Pyrrha's thirsty."

Cappuccino spluttered everywhere.

"Ew, Weiss. Gross."

"W-Where did you hear that phrase?" Weiss choked out. "W-Who told you what that means?"

"Yang did," Ruby explained easily, and really that should have made all the sense in the world. Winter was a perfect role model for a growing young woman, but Yang was basically the anti-Winter. "She said it's when a girl likes a guy a lot but won't say it, so she gets really thirsty and wants to spend all her time around him. Some girls can get thirsty for other girls, too, and I'm not to judge."

"That's… well, that's not a bad way to put it, even if it's not entirely what it means."

"Oh, I know." Ruby said casually. "It means she wants to bang him. Or maybe just push him up against a wall and make out."

Weiss nearly choked again.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "I'm innocent, not stupid. Do you think Russel has realised?"

"I'm sure he has," she said, recovering slightly. "That's probably why he looks so resigned to her being a repeat customer."

"Do you think Jaune has?"

"Hmph, not a chance."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking," Ruby said, giggling. "I'm a little surprised, though. Pyrrha doesn't normally talk to people at Beacon. I sat next to her once and she was nice, but she didn't really say anything. She seems…"

"Distant?" Weiss guessed when Ruby's silence ticked on. "That's not unusual for people in positions such as hers. Her fame makes it hard for people to connect."

"I was going to say lonely…"

Weiss hesitated. "That's… not unusual either," she admitted, and it took a monumental amount of effort to do so. "Those with fame, wealth or power often find that it can be a lonely experience. That's why I approached her in Beacon. I wanted us to become teammates to avoid that."

"To avoid it for both of you?" Ruby asked. "Weiss, were _you_ lonely, too?"

"Not anymore. Nowadays I fight for a chance to be rid of you and your annoying sister for even the smallest amount of time."

"But you were lonely before," Ruby countered, smiling brightly. "That means you value our friendship."

"It means nothing!"

"Aw, Weiss. I love you too!"

"Get off me, you dolt." Weiss growled. Something flashed. "Thrush, if you take another picture of this I swear I'll castrate you. Delete that off your scroll now! Ruby, let go of me. People are staring."

Russel chuckled and ignored the heiress as she was being hugged to death. He saved the picture to his library. "No chance, I'm afraid. This picture is my `get out of being beaten up by Xiao-Long card`. I think I'll keep hold of it."

"There's no need to feel lonely anymore, Weiss!" Ruby squeezed harder. "You're a part of Team RWBY now."

"D-Damn you all!"

/-/

Jaune waved as Pyrrha left, one of the last people to leave as the day came to a close. He had to admit she'd kept him distracted from doing any actual work, but luckily he had Velvet and Russel and those two could keep the place going on their own when they needed to. After the initial drama of the argument between Russel and Pyrrha, their conversation had turned to more pleasant avenues. Pyrrha had asked about his family and had fun listening to his stories of his seven sisters, while she in turn had been happy to tell him a little about her mother and father, and what growing up in Mistral was like.

It had been pleasant, but he was aware not everyone would agree as he cornered Russel before he left. "I'm sorry about earlier. I've had a talk with Pyrrha."

The other man stiffened. "What kind of talk?"

"Nothing that would pry into your personal life, I promise. I just told her that you work here and that she shouldn't let that be an issue." Jaune smiled as Russel slowly relaxed. "She agreed, though I guess it would be best for the both of you if Velvet or I deal with her in the future. Would you prefer that?"

"I…" Russel looked conflicted.

"Don't feel like you have to say no just to be the model employee. You do enough work here as it is. This isn't a chore for me, Russel."

"Then yes," he said, looking away a little shamefaced. "I'm sorry but this is personal. I don't like bringing that into work but there isn't much I can do here. I'd feel more comfortable if I didn't have to deal with her, and I'm pretty sure she feels the same."

Which was a shame, given that they were partners and teammates. Still, it was none of his business. "No problem. Just serve everyone around her if she comes in, and give me a little shout if I don't notice."

Russel nodded, obviously relieved. "Thanks, man. I owe you."

"You don't owe me anything." Jaune brought out the week's pay and handed it over, splitting it between Russel and Velvet, who accepted it with a smile. "Alright, you two. Good work. Just another day tomorrow and we'll be back to easy weekdays."

"That sounds heavenly," Velvet said, sighing. "The tips are good on a weekend but there are so many people. This isn't easy to move in either," she added, shifting in her costume.

"It looks good on you, though," Jaune said.

"T-Thanks…"

Russel rolled his eyes. "You're working tonight, aren't you? That private thing. You sure you don't want me to stop and help? I'll do it as a favour; no cost."

"No, no, it's fine. You two do enough and I can handle this. Besides, I'll be exhausted tomorrow so you'll be running the place on your own for the first two or three hours. You get some sleep; I'll catch up tomorrow."

"Sure thing, boss." Russel laughed. "Come on, Velvet. I'll walk you home."

"Eh?" Velvet froze in place, caught between surprise and something else. "You will?"

"We _do_ live at the same place, you know..."

"I know that! Whoah, wait for me. I'm coming!" Velvet chased after the younger year, turning at the last to wave in Jaune's direction before the door closed with a clack, the bell above it chiming. He watched their shadows through the window go, Velvet apparently chatting while Russel shoved his hands in his pockets and walked beside her.

 _Is he worried those people might try something on her again?_ Jaune wondered. He wasn't sure if that was the case or not, but offering to walk her back was sweet, even if they were headed in the same direction anyway.

Jaune shook his head to ignore such things. He had to get the diner ready for tonight.

/-/

His alarm blared beside his ear. Jaune grumbled and fought to open his eyes, ignoring the alluring pull of his bed. He'd set the alarm for thirty minutes before Cinder and Roman were to arrive, knowing he could get some sleep ahead of it and not have to make do on none at all. The angry red digits informed him it was 12:30, half-past-midnight.

It was an awful time to be waking up to go to work, but he'd already taken Cinder's money and would never renege on their deal. He yawned and sat up, slumped out of bed and stumbled towards the fresh uniform he'd laid out on the end of his mattress. The black pants had fallen off in the night and were creased on the floor. He ironed one or two out with his bare hand before calling it and lost cause and staggering into them. It would do. They probably wouldn't notice.

Falling into the bathroom, he turned on the faucet and splashed some water in his face. His eyes stared back from the mirror, tired and spent with his irises red. A good cup of coffee would wake him up, and the reality of what his job was earned a sleepy laugh. Never let it be said Jaune Arc was particularly witty on waking up. He usually moved like a zombie until his mind caught up with his body.

A rattle downstairs caught his attention. It sounded like the door being tested. "Probably Roman," he sighed, pushing his blonde locks into some semblance of a pattern. It would be just like Roman and Neo to come by early and demand their fill before the meeting started. He'd get to them in time. It wouldn't kill them to wait outside for now.

It was while he was brushing his teeth that he heard an almighty crash.

"You guys just couldn't wait, could you?" Jaune grumbled, spitting water out his mouth and hurrying to the door. He unlocked it and jogged down the stairs. "I swear, Roman, if you've broken my window I'll make you pay for it."

Reaching the bottom, he rounded the corner – and ran face-first into three people who were decidedly _not_ Roman, Cinder or Neo. They were about his height, male, and had their faces hidden by hoodies and balaclavas. There was a fourth by the main window, which had been smashed outwards by one of his own chairs.

"Fuck," one of the men said upon seeing him.

It went downhill from there.

/-/

"Not like you to be so nice as to arrange something like this, Cindy," Roman said, walking alongside his employer down the empty back-streets of Vale. Neo and the two brats were with them, the latter exchanging untrusting glances with his little companion. Roman smirked. She could take them both if she had to, maybe not at the same time but with the aid of her Semblance, she wouldn't have to.

Of course, Mercury and Emerald weren't the real dangerous ones here.

"I've told you before not to call me that," Cinder said, her eyes flashing in a silent warning. "And this isn't so much a kindness as a convenience. Even I grow tired of conducting our meetings in drafty warehouses with your idiots running around trying to peek up my skirt."

Roman groaned. Really, the goons he worked with were too stupid. Did they honestly not realise how deadly Cinder was? "Point taken. I can't complain; it's been too long since I came by for a visit. Neo's been begging for it all week, haven't you, runt?"

Neo, offended at the affectionate nickname, stuck her tongue out at him. He chuckled back, swatting for her head and not feeling very surprised when she agilely dodged it. Cinder glared back, unamused with their shenanigans.

The unlikely group rounded the corner and ducked through an alley onto Walker Street, the same one Jaune's little diner was on. The lights in the window were lit, but that wasn't what caught their attention. There was a chair – one of Jaune's – laid outside a smashed window. The shop's alarm wailed, though no one seemed willing to address it.

Mercury broke the silence first. "What the hell?"

Neo didn't say anything. She darted forward, moving so quickly that Roman never had a chance to stop her. "Shit," he cursed, following after.

The shop was a mess; that much he could see. Neo leapt through the smashed window, clearing the shards easily, and landed inside with a crackle of glass. Roman paused outside, not quite as agile. The interior was a wreck of upturned tables and chairs, though no one remained in the diner. His eyes spotted a slumped form on the floor, right as Neo dove down on her knees, pushing glass aside as she reached for the figure.

"What's going on?" Cinder asked, appearing beside him. Her eyes took in the devastation before he could answer and she sighed angrily, pushing her way past him and through the window. She reached over to test the door, finding it unlocked.

"Latch has been snapped," Mercury said, checking it as he entered. He stepped aside as Roman brushed by, moving for the kid slumped at the back. "Someone forced their way in. Not sure why they exited by the window, though."

"They didn't," Emerald said. "This was just to cause as much damage as possible. Why else go through all the trouble to knock every chair and table over?"

Roman ignored them. He knelt next to Neo, pushing the worried girl's hands away as he took hold of Jaune and propped him in a sitting position. The kid's face was badly bruised, his nose and mouth bleeding. It looked like someone had done him over, either with their fists or a blunt instrument. His temper raged but he focused on the task at hand, tapping the brat's cheek. "Hey kid. Come on, wake up. You're gonna be okay. Neo, get some water. One of you brats kill the alarm before we're swarmed with police."

The mute nodded and leapt for the counter, vaulting over it and running the tap behind. She left it going as she hurried back with a glass. Roman took it and splashed some into Jaune's face, waking him with a splutter. He almost wished he hadn't. The kid cried out in pain immediately.

The alarm cut off, wires and the whole thing torn from the wall by Cinder. She tossed it aside and sauntered forward, kicking some shards aside before she bent both legs and crouched next to Roman. "Is he alive?" she asked.

Jaune tried to answer but his mouth wasn't working perfectly, probably swollen. His words came out garbled and muffled, along with a splutter of blood. He'd had a tooth or two knocked loose. Roman's own blood boiled at the pointless brutality.

"He's been badly beaten," Cinder said, checking him over. "His face and upper body maintained the majority of the damage, though the marks on his top suggest more." She reached for his waistband and pulled his shirt up, revealing angry purple and black bruises on his stomach. "They stopped to kick him while he was down. Probably beat him into unconsciousness."

"You think I can't see that?" Roman snapped.

"It goes worse, I'm afraid." Cinder reached for Jaune's arm, the broken one, and the scream that escaped his mouth would have been ear-piercing. It bubbled in his blood, however, and tears ran down his cheeks as he tried to cradle the limb. "They didn't spare him any. His arm was dislocated if I recall. It's far worse now. He won't be recovering anytime soon."

"Bastards. When I find the ones who did this I'll make them regret the fact they didn't dribble down their mother's legs."

"Roman," Cinder warned.

"Don't `Roman` me. This is personal."

"I'm well aware, but control yourself for now. Jaune isn't going to be helped by you shaking him like that."

Roman cursed and steadied his hold, moving Jaune's ruined arm onto his chest – whispering for him to bear the pain for now as he did. It wouldn't make it better but he could at least stop it from being moved around.

"Give him to me," Cinder said, moving to take hold of the teen. "Go indulge yourself in having a look around. It seems our meeting is off for tonight, so you may as well make yourself useful. See if you can't figure out who did this."

Roman nodded, too angry to do anything else. He shifted Jaune over gently and stood, running a hand over his face as he pushed past Mercury and Emerald to the door, leaning down to check the entry.

Cinder hushed the wounded man – more of a boy, really, especially like this – in her arms. "Be calm now," she said, trying for the most comforting voice she could. It had never been her strong point. Cinder Fall did not comfort people. "You're going to be okay. Can you hear me?"

Jaune nodded. His eyes were filled with tears, deserved, perhaps, what with the agony he must have been experiencing. He was an absolute mess, and had already spilled a little blood on her arm. Cinder wiped it away without a thought. She noticed Neo nearby, stood with an unreadable expression.

"It seems my renting of your diner will have to take a back seat tonight," she said. "You can keep the lien. We'll sort it out for another night." To be honest, she doubted he had any lien left. The till was smashed on the floor, the money for the day likely long gone.

"Hgrbl…" He tried to speak but couldn't really manage it.

"Shush now, there's no need to speak. Does everything still hurt?"

He nodded, and that action alone was enough to make him whimper. She felt her own anger, uncharacteristic as it was, as she looked over him, especially his arm, now twisted beyond recognition. While she had no love for the people of Vale, his was an existence unrelated to any of the pain she had felt before.

She wouldn't go so far as to say she liked him, but… perhaps in a small way she approved of his existence. It was oddly endearing as to how honest and innocent he was. She enjoyed teasing him with her allure and watching his honest reaction. Now, that honesty revealed all of the pain he felt and she found that it irritated her.

Since it wouldn't do to take that out on him, she chose instead to blame those responsible for putting him in such a state. _And for inconveniencing my plans,_ she thought. _They will have to pay for that when Roman finds them. They meddle in things they don't understand here._

But for now, she had a patient to treat. "I'm going to have to set your arm for a moment, otherwise it will never heal correctly." She explained it softly but his eyes widened in fear. "Neo," she called. "You know this has to be done. Come and hold him still for me."

Neo nodded and settled down behind him, holding his head against her stomach and hooking her hands under his armpits. He struggled weakly, more from terror than a genuine attempt to escape. Cinder took the arm and brushed some glass from it, looking to Neo and nodding. The mute covered Jaune's mouth with one hand, preventing any sound from escaping him.

With a sigh, Cinder pushed.

Bone cracked and ground together. A high-pitched and muffled whine, almost like a whistle being blown, echoed past Neo's fingers. Even Mercury and Emerald looked uncomfortable, turning away and kicking glass across the floor.

Only Cinder remained unperturbed, hushing him softly as she pushed his arm into a new position and leaned in again. Another crack, another grinding popping sound, and another agonised scream lost in Neo's hand.

"It's done," she said, dusting her hands clean. "Or rather it's set. A doctor could heal it in time, though you'd be looking at a year or more of treatment, I fear."

"A-A year..?" Jaune managed to croak.

"At least. I'm no doctor so I can't say for sure." Cinder watched his expression fall and sighed as a strange emotion welled up within her. It was annoyingly sentimental. Almost nostalgic. "Of course, that is by more mundane means. You will be fine by tomorrow, though I'll have to ask you not to reveal how your stroke of good fortune came about."

"I… don't understand…"

Cinder touched a hand to his cheek, cupping his bruised flesh against her palm. She watched as he leaned into it, weakly seeking that warmth. What a foolish idea. It would only complicate matters and served her no real purpose. It was as pointless a decision as it was for her to arrange a meeting with Roman here. It granted her _nothing_ of value. And yet, slowly, she began to speak.

"It is in our darkest moments that we achieve strength. Through suffering, we gain the power to shape our own destiny. Infinite in potential and unburdened by expectation, I release your soul, and by my hand, empower thee." She watched as his eyes widened and a rush of white energy ran through him. His reserves were impressive. They would see to his recovery. "Rest now," she commanded, forcing a little heat into her hand, enough to sooth but not to burn. "Sleep. In the morning, this will be all but a nightmare."

Jaune tried to speak, to ask questions, but the injuries he'd sustained, and the sudden unlocking of his aura, drained him. As his new energy sought to heal the body his eyes rolled up and he slumped in her arms. Cinder gave him to Neo, helping the small girl to lift him. "Take him to his bed," she said softly. "See to him for now."

Neo nodded, for once following her orders to the letter as she helped him toward the staircase. Emerald and Mercury, seeing that she was struggling, hurried over to help.

She strolled over to Roman once they were the last ones to remain in the café itself. "Have you found anything?"

"Not yet," Roman growled. He sounded furious beyond belief; that charismatic and smarmy flair of his replaced with an undignified and fiery rage. "I'll find those bastards, though. Believe me on that. This is my territory and I don't much appreciate people on the up and coming. I've got contacts. Junior's girls will be chomping at the bit to find the assholes responsible for this, especially after I tell them what they did to their little boy toy."

Again, Roman's foolish anger here would get in the way of her plans. Despite that, and knowing she should tell him it didn't matter, Cinder sighed. "So long as it doesn't get in the way of our work, fine. I'll give you a little time off to sort this out."

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

"Think nothing of it," she deflected. "The boy serves me well. If I'm to waste my time in Vale on the path up to the Vytal Festival, I'd rather it be with at least one comfort to hand." Jaune's café would be a welcome relief once she was forced to masquerade as a hormonal teenager. It somehow felt easier to convince herself it was for that reason she would entertain Roman finding those responsible. It was only efficient, after all. "How do you intend to find them, though? Vale is a large place and there are plenty of people around who might do this."

"I have a lead," Roman said. "I can follow it."

"Oh?"

Roman pointed behind her, and Cinder turned, following his finger over the counter at the back of the diner to the wall behind. It was where Jaune normally served, and to her memory she could recall that there had been a rather plain-looking sword and shield hanging from two hooks on the wall. It was not there now.

"The kid's family sword," Roman explained, and Cinder made a sound of understanding. "It'll kill him to know that's been taken; I've seen the way he looks at it and it's always polished to a shine. If someone wants to shift something like that, there's only a few places I can think of that would dare buy it. I'll put the word out to keep an eye for a seller."

"Very well. I shall leave it I your hands."

Once Mercury and Emerald returned, each looking more than a little unsure of themselves, Cinder nodded toward the exit, telling them it was time to leave. Roman and Neo could handle the clean-up here, and would presumably call the police before they left. Or perhaps they would call Junior and arrange for his men to come and protect the place. Either way, their work here was done. She'd unlocked his aura and provided him a chance to heal, and that was no small feat.

As her underlings left through the open door, however, Cinder found herself pausing in the entranceway. Her brow creased and she drew in a deep breath. Her stomach felt unnaturally tight, and her nails had dug into her palm without her realising it. "Roman," she called.

The thief looked back at her, distracted. "Yeah?"

"When you find those responsible…"

"I'll give you a call," he interrupted. "If you want to get your own licks in, I won't say no."

Oddly enough, the barbaric offer soothed her stomach. Cinder tasted the thought and found it pleasing, almost foolishly so. She nodded.

"Good. I think I'd like that."

* * *

 **Oh shit, sudden and random robbery. But, well, looking back, was it really that unexpected? The place doesn't close til late and the owner lives upstairs and wouldn't take any money off the premises. Plus, it's experienced a sudden uptake in business that even a major competitor has noticed.**

 **That's a rather attractive list of qualities, especially when you consider the owner is a young man with an arm in a cast and no means of protecting himself. Well, other than if he had a long list of super powerful friends in high places. But there's no way some random coffee guy could have friends like** _ **that**_ **, right?**

 **One thing is for sure… it'll be interesting to see** _ **who**_ **is more murderous. Team RWBY, Velvet and Russel, Roman, Pyrrha or the Malachites.**

 **There have been people before who asked why X or Y didn't unlock his aura, and that is something I was aware of at the time, but seeing as the show plays up the idea of only huntsmen having their auras unlocked, and Jaune not even knowing what one was, it's my headcanon - or at least my attempt to excuse what otherwise might be bad writing - to say that there are LAWS preventing everyday civilians having their aura unlocked. I'll go into that more in future chapters, but the basic idea is that would you really want people who are essentially super-powered running around completely unchecked? Huntsman schools would at least teach responsibility and law, and help to keep track of who has what Semblance, etc, but if you unlocked the aura of every person ever, you'd soon find it all but impossible to control them all.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 10** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	18. Chapter 18

**Oh wow, a whopping 275 reviews to last chapter alone. There were a lot of questions people raised, and many of those will find answers in the next few chapters – but it will be the next `few`. There might still be some questions you have at the end of this one. I just wanted to let people know that I'm aware of them; just working towards their answers in terms of the plot.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 18**

* * *

Jaune's was a scene of chaos even before Team RWBY fought their way to the front of the crowd staring at the diner. The windows were smashed, the door hanging open – and there had to be at least fifty or more people arrayed in front of it gossiping and whispering. More took pictures and pointed from afar.

Two men in black suits with red ties and glasses stood before the diner, one blocking the window and the other the door. Yang's temper sparked at the sight of them but she held it back. If they'd been responsible for this, they wouldn't have stayed around to gloat.

"What happened?" Ruby gasped, forgetting her social awkwardness in the face of her worry. She addressed the taller man at the door. "Where's Jaune? Is he okay?"

"He's alive," the man replied.

"Is he okay, though? No, never mind. I'll check." Ruby darted past him and ducked under his arm, slipping into the diner before the man could stop her.

Yang used the moment where he was distracted to step around behind, tapping his shoulder as she did. He turned to try and find her – and Weiss and Blake ducked in front while he was looking away. By the time he realised what was going on, they were all inside and he had to watch the entrance, thus being unable to follow.

Russel was inside on hands and knees dusting shards of glass into a plastic pan. He looked up when he saw them and Yang had to whistle at the sheer _anger_ in his eyes. "What the hell happened here?" she asked.

"Like I know. Me and Velvet showed up to our shift in time to see this." He muttered something under his breath, and it was so filthy that Ruby blushed and Yang's eyebrows rose. Yep, he wasn't pleased. "The boss is upstairs and the door is open. You might as well go see him. Not like I can stop you."

"It looks like a robbery," Blake said.

"Your powers of deduction are astounding." Russel emptied the glass into a bin with a tinkle and a crash. He crossed his arms and stared at them with lidded eyes, looking like the most cynical fantasy character ever. "Someone should hire you as a detective."

To her credit, Blake let it go. It was obvious he was angry, and not at them specifically. "Sorry. That was pretty obvious. We should go see- Ruby?"

"Already upstairs," Weiss noted, stepping around some glass while looking over the diner's interior. Much of the fantasy decorations were still in one piece, but the front window was beyond hope, as were much of the display counters which had been smashed inwards. The till was missing. Not just the money but the whole thing itself, torn from the counter. "What a mess. I hope Jaune has insurance for all of this…"

"He does. I checked."

"You checked…?"

"This morning," Russel explained, sighing. "First thing I did was check his records and see if he was insured. I've called the police department and the insurance company to try and sort this out."

"That's efficient of you."

Russel glared to the side. "Not like there's anything else I can do, is it?"

Yang sympathised with him, she really did. In a situation like this the first she'd want to do was punch someone's face in, but there really wasn't anyone left behind to do that to. There was nothing like being too late to help to piss someone off. It was worse when you were a huntress or huntsman. What was the point of having all that skill and power if you weren't there to help someone?

"What happens today?" Weiss asked.

"I'll try and clean up enough to open shop," Russel said. "Not that it'll be any good, but I might as well try to earn some money. Velvet got in touch with Marron – our supplier – and he's offered to provide some free stock and even lend us a cooling unit for them."

"Good of him."

"Jaune gets on with the people nearby and they all help one another. It helps that Marron treats Velvet like one of his daughters. It won't be enough, though." He sighed and put the pan and brush down on a table that now had a broken leg. The chair was smashed entirely, having been used as a club to smash in the display units. "A lot of the stuff here is technical machinery and these guys made sure to mess that up. I can brew, but I can't do anything the likes of what Jaune makes. Not without the right equipment."

"Shouldn't the insurance company replace it all?"

"Eventually, sure. They're digging their heels at the moment though."

Yang's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"It's a common tactic," Weiss explained. "The insurance companies will delay until an investigation is at least underway. They'll claim it's to make sure this isn't fraud, but the truth of the matter is that they just don't want to make it easy. Leave them to me," she said. "Give me Jaune's account with them and I'll have one of my family's attorneys get in touch. You'll be surprised how quickly they'll move after that."

"Appreciated. They're on the kitchen side upstairs. Anyone want to help me down here?"

"I will," Blake offered, moving to take the brush from him.

Yang and Weiss slipped away towards the stairs while they got to work. Voices from upstairs showed there was more than just Velvet and Ruby in the apartment. That proved to be even truer than she'd realised when a bouncer – an actual bouncer – tried to stop her at the door. He let her through once he saw her. He could probably still remember the bruises.

It was perhaps expected _they_ would be here. Before, her temper might have flared and had her attack them, but now, with the memory of what she'd done before, Yang only glowered at the Malachite twins. In turn, they ignored her entirely.

"I've told you everything I know," the red one snapped to Ruby. "We're not psychic. We got here as soon as we could and took over the place to keep the crowds outside."

"B-But what about a doctor?"

"We've _had_ a doctor come by. You think we're that stupid?"

"Leave it be, Miltia," the twin in white said. Her voice lacked its usual acerbic air and her eyes remained focused on Jaune. She had a hand on his cheek, which she stroked softly. "The brat's just worried. I can't be bothered to have an argument here and Jaune needs his rest."

That was the cue for the two of them to make themselves noticed, Yang coughing so that they wouldn't be surprised, and holding both hands up when the twins tensed. "We're here to check on Jaune," she said. "How is he?"

"How does he look, blondie?"

"Miltia!" Melanie sighed. "She's pissed that she can't do anything and we didn't see who did this." Not an apology, but Yang nodded anyway. "Jaune is… well, he's not as bad as he looks."

"He _looks_ like he's on death's door," Weiss noted. "Being `not that bad` entails a fairly wide spectrum."

"He'll live. He'll be up and about in a week or so and he'll not have any lasting injuries to show for it. Not any that'll cripple him, anyway. He might have a nasty scar here." She traced under his left eye, where a small cut – possibly from a shard of glass – had traced a red line.

"Maybe it'll make him look a little sexier. He could stand to look a little edgier." Miltia tried to laugh at her quip but it sounded hollow. "Fuck," she cursed. "How did our boys not see this? This place is under our protection. When I find out who was supposed to be watching him…"

"Junior is looking into it, Miltia. Leave it with him."

"You said he'll have no lasting injuries?" Yang said. "How is that possible? He already had his dislocated shoulder from me and his cast is in pieces on the floor." It was bad enough what she'd done, but if someone had worsened it…

That wasn't her fault per se, but she couldn't control the guilt.

"And his face. It… he looks like he's been put through a meat grinder. He's just a civilian and these people attacked him. How is he going to be fine? Why is he here and not at a hospital or something?"

"Because we're trying to keep things quiet for now," Melanie said. "As for the cast, it's because he won't need it in a few days' time."

Yang froze. "What? He had _weeks_ left with that thing even before this."

"Yeah, but not anymore. His aura is taking care of it."

"His—his aura!? Whoah, what? Last time I checked, he didn't have his aura unlocked. Are you telling me he _naturally unlocked_ it?" Such cases were rare, impossibly so, but she'd heard of them. People had figured that was probably how aura first began since no one would have known how to unlock it at first.

There were theories how it worked but most involved intense danger, a desire to live, and that same stress causing the soul to unlock itself in a last-ditch effort for survival.

"That's what we're claiming, but that's not exactly what happened," Melanie said.

Weiss put two and two together. "You unlocked his aura?"

"Not me, but close enough. An associate did."

"I take it your associate realises that there are laws against that."

"Of course. Why do you think I said associate instead of giving you a name? Anyway, without his aura he'd have been hospitalised for weeks and it would be months before he would be back on his feet, let alone strong enough to run things here. Unlocking his aura was the only choice." She shot them a scowl. "I take it you're not going to go running off to the authorities on that one, right?"

"We won't," Ruby said.

"Russel and I already said we're fine with it," Velvet agreed. "It's not like Jaune would use his for bad purposes, so it won't be an issue."

"But if his aura is active, why is he still unconscious?" Ruby asked.

It was Weiss who answered, falling into a lecturing tone. "Aura isn't quite that immediate, Ruby, especially not with people who aren't trained to use it. Remember, it's not a force field but something we have to actively use to block an attack, and he didn't have it unlocked when he was attacked. Jaune has already taken all the damage in full. Aura will help him heal faster and make him stronger, but it isn't a miracle worker, otherwise people would unlock it all the time at hospitals."

There was more to it than that, of course, but Weiss had the basics down and Ruby made a sound of understanding. The key part was that he'd be okay, and a damn sight faster than he normally would. It would still take time due to how much of a beating he'd taken, but it would reduce from weeks to a few days.

And, since he'd been attacked and there were no witnesses, there was technically no way for anyone to claim he hadn't unlocked his aura instinctively.

Besides, people flaunted that law all the time. It was just there to try and keep control of all the unregulated aura users and the potential damage they could cause. It was more a deterrence than a law that was regularly enforced.

"That doctor you called was a shady back-alley one, wasn't he?" Yang quipped.

"They know how to stay quiet."

"Thought so."

"He's good at what he does. It's the guy we use for bad wounds – he's a professional. Still, Jaune is going to be out for a while yet. He might wake up today but we have instructions not to let him even _think_ about getting out of bed. That means the diner is without its manager for at least a couple of days."

"Not like it can run anyway," Ruby said. "The place has been torn to pieces." Her eyes watered. "And Jaune needs the money for rent."

"And wages," Weiss added, looking to Velvet.

"Russel and I have waived ours for now. Beacon covers our expenses, so we can wait until the insurance is sorted to be paid."

"But you're still working and you'll need to be paid for it. We need to get Jaune's diner back on track and selling. He relies on it. If it doesn't open, he'll not be able to stay in business." Weiss growled angrily and crossed her arms. "As much as I hate to suggest it, we might need to don our uniforms once more…"

Yang and Ruby groaned. Groaned, but didn't refuse.

"That won't be necessary, you three," Velvet said. "Russel and I can keep the place going. We just need help bringing it back to working order. And maybe someone to stay by Jaune in case he wakes up."

"Ooh, dibbs!" Ruby yelped, hand in the air. She looked so worried for her best friend that no one, not even the Malachites, could challenge her.

"Right, we'll leave the brat to watch him," Melanie said, standing with a sigh. "Whatever happens, don't let him move. I don't care if he wants to see if his shop is okay, he stays in bed even if you have to tie him to it. Understand?"

Ruby nodded earnestly. "I swear I won't let him get up!"

"The rest of us need to fix this place up," Melanie decided.

"And how are we meant to do that?" Yang asked. "I'm willing, but there's just a few of us and the place is a wreck. What can we even do?"

A loud truck horn honked from outside.

Miltia grinned.

"I made a few calls…"

/-/

The wooden door to the dust antiques dealer tinkled as it opened, leading the man behind the counter to look up. The monocle that served doubly as a magnifying glass slipped from his face as he regarded the visitor. One who would not normally have come by so early, or quite so obviously. He began to sweat, and quickly put down the little box he'd been inspecting and hurried over.

"Oh my, Mr Torchwick. You don't normally visit at times like this." He brushed past the thief to push the bolt of the door up, locking it. He also drew the blinds down over the door. "I do hope no one saw you. Then again, you are the professional here, not I." Even so, the man wrung his hands together nervously.

"Relax, doc. I wasn't seen."

"Good, good. Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners? Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?"

"Not today. I'm on business."

Business could be good, or it could be really, really bad. It depended on the thief's mood, really. A store owner, especially for valuable antiques, might normally have been rather upset to see a man like Roman Torchwick, but not every store in Vale needed to fear him. If he made an enemy of every shop, then where would he buy his wares?

Besides, antiques weren't the only things he sold, and certain aspects of the underworld appreciated his… unique skill at disposing of stolen goods. Financially, that was. A man capable of tracing back the history of items was also, by nature, just as skilled at erasing those same clues.

"Are you here to sell, Roman?"

"I might be here to buy, actually. It all depends."

"Naturally." He bowed and stepped back. "Well, what is it you're looking for? I shall be happy to help you if I can." For a price went unsaid. It always did.

"I'm looking for a certain something – a sword and shield combination. I've got a feeling it might have passed through your store, or that it might pass in a day or two."

"Can you describe it to me?"

"I can do better." Roman removed his scroll and placed it down on the counter, moving through some images to one that appeared to be a small girl with brightly coloured pink and brown hair teasing a man with hair of spun gold. The scene was… surprisingly sweet for a renowned criminal. In the background, on the wall above the counter of whatever store it was, a sword and shield hung.

The antiques dealer took the scroll and zoomed in, focusing on it. "Hm, a rather nice looking thing. Simple but elegant – I'd say it has history to it. You would get more for any other mecha-shift weapon, however. What's so special about this one?"

"Sentimental value. It's been stolen."

He looked up towards the thief, who stared back firmly. Not sentimental to him, surely, but he caught the point well enough. Someone had made a mistake and pilfered something from a friend of Roman's. That was a mistake very few in the underworld made. Only amateurs would be so foolish; that or opportunists.

"It hasn't come through here as of yet, but I can keep an eye out for you." He brought out his own scroll and snapped an image of the weapon from Roman's, handing it back a second later.

"You wouldn't be holding out on me now, doc."

"N-Not at all," he said, suddenly afraid. "R-Roman, I've known you for years and you've known me. Even assuming I'd betray such a loyal customer, common sense would dictate I not do so to one so dangerous. Not for a weapon like that. How much would I even sell it for? Twenty-thousand, thirty? It would take a lot more than that to make risking your wrath worthwhile!"

"Fair point, Doc. Fair point. I want this sword, though. I want it fast. If the ones who took it come here, I want you to buy it off them _whatever_ they demand for it. I'll reimburse you the difference."

Roman leaned forward suddenly, and his eyes took on a deadly gleam. His teeth shone as he smiled cruelly. "And if you can get a good shot of the fuckers with your security cameras, or better yet any names, I'll _double_ the payout."

"D-Double…?"

All of a sudden, this meeting was looking profitable indeed. One thing occurred to him, however. "And what of those who have taken it? What would you do to them?"

Roman's smile didn't comfort him any. The fact he didn't answer the question was even more frightening. None of his business, that was what he told himself. He just had a job to do and some lien to earn.

"V-Very well, I'll see what I can find. If anything comes through matching the image I'll be sure to get in contact."

"That's what I like to hear. Keep up the good work, Doc." Roman chuckled around his cigar as he stepped back towards the door, cane in hand and eyes glinting in the warm-lit room. They were normally so jovial, even in the worst of times, but now there was an edge to them that he'd never seen before.

As the door closed, the man slumped on his desk, relief pouring through him. Never had Roman frightened him so. He'd honestly thought the man about to snap, so tight were his muscles. He'd been coiled like a spring.

"I pity the poor fools who have set him off," he whispered.

Pitied them, but not enough to feel too bad about the offer. There was an old printer in the back; maybe he could get it working and print out some leaflets and signs saying he was looking for swords to purchase, no questions asked.

/-/

By the time the afternoon came around, there wasn't a person in Vale who didn't know Jaune's café had been hit, or at least that was what it felt like. People streamed by in droves, pausing to gasp, point and even to question the intimidating goons stationed outside. Some, huntsmen and huntresses, actually looked ready to force their way past and check on the barista themselves, but calmed down at the sight of several known students working with the suited men.

Yet more came with lien – willing to chip in to help where they could. One or two even brought offers of furniture they could use, or teenage children who were lazy and could use the exercise helping to clean up anyway.

Team RWBY turned them all away politely, though not without some cheer at seeing just how many people thought well of Jaune. They just didn't need the manpower – given that they had around forty Mafioso currently working under their watch.

It was… a little weird.

"Over there," Ruby said, perched on top of a table that four men were carrying between them – her weight included. "No, not here. Did I say stop? This one goes on the side. What? Do I _look_ like I don't remember how this place was set up?"

"I've told you, three walls white and the one behind the counter black," Weiss said. "It's called a `feature wall` and yes, it's a thing. Well maybe you'd understand if you could see anything other than red. Why you're all wearing those silly things, I don't understand. Oi, paint evenly! This will be multiple coats. Stop trying to lather it on in a thick paste."

Russel and Velvet frog-marched by with a new till held between them. They paused for a second to let Blake push by, brushing more glass from the floor, before they continued on and put it down on the counter, adjusting it to get it right.

There were several men in overalls working at the window, smashing out the remaining glass while a new pane, pristine and with a logo of a coffee cup with steam beneath it frosted onto the glass, waiting to be installed. All of this in a little under three hours, not to mention Weiss sorting out the insurance – and hell, her legal team moved _quick_ – and Junior offering to spot Jaune the money for new coffee equipment until the insurance paid out. That was being delivered later on in the day, which was already an impressive turnaround for bespoke equipment. Again, when Weiss `Heiress to the SDC` Schnee put a call in, people bent over backwards to accommodate.

"I can't believe how quickly this is all going," Yang said, collapsing into one of the new seats, plusher and comfier than the last ones, and with leather seats. She'd single-handedly carried the broken furniture into the skip outside and was now covered in sweat and in need of a break. The skip company had to come and collect twice, so much damaged machinery and furniture there was.

"We don't fuck around," Melanie said, sitting opposite. "Work in our business long enough and you make a lot of contacts."

"Not all of it is from us, though," Miltia added. "That till was donated from a clothes store nearby that replaced their own a week ago. The display unit has been loaned out from Jaune's cake supplier and you should see the mugs."

"Huh?"

Miltia leaned back over the seat and pointed to the counter, which Yang noticed was stacked with mugs, saucers and other things. None of the originals had survived since they'd been in the industrial washer, which had been tipped over in the attack. The contents had been so ruined they hadn't even bothered to take them out, just lugging the whole thing to the skip.

Now, the diner was filled with cups and mugs again, though they weren't the pristine and uniform white ones Jaune had before. They were a ridiculous array of colours, patterns and other things. She thought she saw some with quotes on them too, and others with faces of dogs, cats and scenes from beaches of Vacuo.

There was even one with the symbol of Beacon on it, and a little note saying `#1 Headmaster`.

"What the hell?"

"People have been coming by to donate a mug. I think it's become a campaign somewhere and we haven't noticed. No other explanation for why every visitor brings one." Melanie laughed. "Everyone wants to help even if it's just donating a single cup from their kitchen."

Warmth rushed through her at that, especially when she imagined some random people – elderly couples, businessmen or even children – stopping by to give their favourite cups over, all to try and help the young barista who had been hurt. It was a wonderful gesture, even if it was a little odd. Who knew, maybe Jaune would make it a thing and serve all his drinks in them.

A loud crash interrupted her thoughts.

"Not here!" Ruby howled. "This one goes a bit to the right."

"D-Do you have to stand on top of it while we're carrying it?" one of the men panted. "You're heavy."

Ruby gasped. "Take that back!"

"It's getting loud in here. I'm surprised Jaune hasn't woken up yet. By the way, if Ruby is down here, who is looking after him?"

"The Nikos chick," Miltia said.

"Ah."

"Yeah. Tried to send her away but she looked so scared I thought she was going to kill me for a moment. Decided it'd be easier to have her watch over him than argue. Your sister said she could be trusted."

"Yeah, she's okay. Not a friend of ours but she knows him and likes him well enough."

Miltia snorted. "I could tell."

"If he doesn't wake tonight, Miltia and I will stay with him overnight," Melanie said, sipping from a can of soda. "We work nights anyway and Junior doesn't need us when there isn't some huntress causing trouble. We'll work shifts and keep an eye on him."

Yang nodded her thanks, not quite willing to respond to the dig on her. It was hard to regret what she'd done, even if she now realised just how arrogant she'd been. They were criminals, yes, but they hadn't exactly done anything criminal to her at the time.

"Any idea on who did this?"

"Not yet," Melanie said. "We're looking."

"Café Prime put out a statement earlier about it, saying how much of a tragedy it is to see crime soar in the streets of Vale, etc, etc… and how they wish only the best and a speedy recovery for Jaune. Load of bull if you ask me."

"You think they're involved?" Yang asked.

"It's too early to say," Melanie answered. "Like Miltia says, their sympathy is hollow but that doesn't mean they planned this. Smashing a place to put it out of business isn't really how most legitimate companies operate."

Miltia laughed. "Yeah, that's more _our_ MO."

"We'll figure it out either way," the twin in white said. "And when we do, we'll figure out how to respond."

"Will you involve Jaune?"

"And let him push us to forgive them?" Miltia sounded offended at the idea. "Not a chance. Tell him afterwards maybe, so he feels better, but I'm not letting him put a damper on this. Someone is going to pay for this."

"Why do you care so much?" Yang asked.

The twins froze. "Excuse us?"

"I know you like Jaune, but, I mean…"

"We're criminals."

The way Melanie said it made it clear she was unimpressed, but there was little Yang could say otherwise. She nodded.

"Crooks are still people, you know. It was just about the coffee at first, and why not? We paid, he gave us good drinks and it was a perfectly normal business relationship. I guess it became something more when it kept being us to come over. He was funny, in a blushing and stammering kind of way. It was like visiting a puppy you don't have to clean up for and look after." She shrugged. "It was entertaining. We had fun."

Yang couldn't hide her disappointment. "That's it?"

"Should it be anything more, blondie?" Miltia snapped. "We had fun and we kept coming, and before long we were close. That's how that shit works. He's a friend now and someone has messed with him. Big mistake. We're not all goody-goody like you lot, but we still have our loyalty. We _like_ Jaune and we like hanging around with him. That means he's ours now."

"Your friend or your source of entertainment?"

"Does it matter? He's ours," Miltia repeated. "It's both of those and more, like how it doesn't matter whether your sister is a pain in the ass or not; she's still your sister. We don't mind sharing him with you lot, but if someone tries to hurt him then they get to deal with us."

"What Miltia is trying to say is that we don't have a word for what we are," Melanie explained. "Friends would be one thing, I suppose, but it's more than that. You might say it's like he's a part of the family now – the whole family," she said, indicating the uniformed goons.

"Does Jaune realise that?"

"I think he does, actually. He just pretends not to."

"He's cute like that," Miltia giggled. "He gets that look on his face when he knows he's technically breaking all the rules but tries to convince himself he's not. It's like a kitten about to sneeze. You just want to hug it."

That had to be the vaguest and most confusing thing she'd ever heard. Would it have killed them to just say they were friends, or did the Malachites not really know how? Well, whatever. Yang could sense they cared about him, if only because if he was just property they'd have been angry and offended, but they wouldn't have offered to spend all night looking after him to make sure he was okay. Actions spoke louder than words and the only person who had ever done that for her was Dad and Ruby.

She wasn't sure the Malachites would appreciate being compared to either – or that Jaune would, whether it was him being their dad or their injured son.

"What are you going to do about his aura?" she asked.

"We'll explain things when he's ready for it."

"Will you train him?"

"We might," Melanie said.

"Will it do any good? It takes months of intense training to learn how to use it properly, and even if you taught him it's not like it would do any good. It'll take longer for a Grimm or thug to knock him down, but he'll still _be_ knocked down. He'll just be in agony for longer."

"We know."

Nothing more than that, just a nod from each of them. Aura really wasn't the save-all some people made it out to be. Sure, it could protect you against an attack, but unless you knew how to fight back, what use was that? A Beowolf would just take a fraction longer to kill you and you'd be helpless the whole time, pouring off more negativity and attracting yet more Grimm. It would be torture, plain and simple.

"I can help if you need me to," she offered. "I can teach him some hand-to-hand."

"It won't work."

"You're a huntress."

"You lot train for years and years."

"And even if you tried to train him, he can't dedicate six or more hours a day to it like you do."

Yang's head spun as her attention flicked between the two, who had taken to talking in turn. Their smirks said it was on purpose, and Melanie continued before Yang could complain.

"We'll give him a few pointers. _We're_ different. We didn't learn to fight in a combat school, but on the streets – so we'll be able to show him how to get tough enough to defend himself _without_ all the lessons and homework you have."

"It wasn't enough to stop me beating the two of you," Yang pointed out.

"It's not meant to," Miltia growled. "How are normal people meant to stand a chance against you if you've spent the last seven or so years doing _nothing_ but training to fight? We're meant to be strong enough to deal with petty thugs, criminals and drunken idiots. Jaune shouldn't have to fight more than that. If he comes across someone like you, he's fucked whoever trains him."

There was no arguing with that and Yang didn't try. At the end of the day he was just a barista and a civilian, which meant that aura or not, he couldn't be expected to try and reach their level. Maybe it would have been different if he'd gotten into Beacon, what with all the free time for training and support from the teachers, but out here – without even the means to have a friendly spar – it just wasn't the same.

Street fighting was about the best he could learn, and to be honest the Malachites hadn't been that bad. Not as good as her, sure, but a damn sight better than most.

He would be fine. He had a lot of people looking out for him, them included.

"Yang, I need you to help me arrange the displays," Weiss called.

"Coming!"

/-/

Jaune awoke fevered and gasping but not, to his surprise, in intense agony. The room was dark but for the light of a lamp. He tried to reach for it but failed the moment he moved his shoulder. Pain lanced down it, replaced almost immediately with an indescribable feeling. It was like water – both cool and hot at the same time – flowing through his body to the area, dulling it almost immediately.

"Hey," a familiar voice said, followed by an even more familiar face as Miltia Malachite leaned in front of him. The red-dressed twin was always sharper and more callous than her twin, but for once she held back. "You're awake. It's about time, lazybones."

"W-What time is it?"

"Gone eleven…"

"Nearly lunch rush?"

"Eleven at night, you doofus. It's dark."

Jaune's eyes widened and he tried to sit up, only for Miltia to place two fingers on his forehead and push. Whether it was her strength, his weakness or just the angle he wasn't sure, but his head bent back and he was forced to lie back down.

"You're not going anywhere, buster. The _last thing_ you need to think about is working. Do you even remember what happened to you?"

Remember…?

The last thing he could remember was preparing for Cinder and Roman, making sure the diner was nice and ready for them to arrive and going to sleep. He'd heard knocking around downstairs and… and…

Blinding pain, repeated blows and something cracking against his face, followed by the cold feeling of the floor. Something had struck him over and over in the stomach, even when he could no longer move. He'd cried out for mercy at one point, hadn't he? He'd begged them to stop. A pit opened up in his stomach, equal parts shame and something else. He felt weak and vulnerable. Useless…

"Yeah, I see that you can," Miltia whispered. She sat down on his mattress with a sigh. "Look, I'm not the best at this. You know what I'm like, so don't expect it. What happened, though? It pisses me off. You were hurt badly. Cinder and Roman found you and did what they could, and you even got your aura unlocked – which is why you're probably feeling like shit here as opposed to being hooked up to machines in a hospital. You're not to move, not only on pain of making your injuries worse but on me kicking your ass for it once you're better."

Jaune stared at the girl, trying to process half of the deluge of information she'd just given him and failing at even that. "Miltia," he said.

"Hm?"

"You were right."

"Heh, of course I am."

"You're really bad at this."

"Oi!" Her cheeks puffed out cutely, or it might have been had her eyes not been like shards of ice. She let her anger go with a huff. "You're lucky you're injured or I'd punish you for that one. No one talks to me like that."

No one? He had a feeling Melanie would, but apart from her and maybe Junior, that really was the full list. Was it odd that he felt he'd be included? He didn't know. Even so, his head was spinning and he pressed the palm of one hand to his face.

"I… I can remember them attacking me."

"Faces? Names?"

"N-No, they wore hoods and facemasks. I don't remember them saying anything at all." They had spoken, but his own screams had drowned out the meaning. He clenched his eyes shut against the memory. "I was a coward…"

This time Miltia _did_ lose her patience. She slapped the top of his head. "Oi, none of that shit."

"You don't get it. I cried and cried. I didn't even try to fight, despite wanting to be a huntsman originally. What kind of person am I? I could have run, but I just curled into a ball and let it all happen."

"And what were you supposed to do, perform a flying roundhouse kick to knock one out a window, then break their necks with a broom? You're not an action hero and life doesn't work like a comic. You were outnumbered and attacked and they were armed. Best odds is you survive with a beating, worst is that you die."

"I should have been able to do something…"

"So says everyone who ever has something bad happen to them." She leaned forward. "But the thing is, `should` doesn't cut it in the world. You had no training, no aura and no weapon. You were fucked from the moment they picked you, and odds are that's _why_ they picked you."

"I begged for them to stop," he admitted, cheeks red. He expected her to scoff, roll her eyes or make some half-assed assertion that it was okay. He didn't expect her to laugh.

"That's it? Is that what's got you so wound up?"

"I… well…"

"Gods, you're actually pretty arrogant, aren't you? Or is this `machismo` or something?" Miltia did roll her eyes then, and sighed loudly too. "Sheesh, someone save me from guys who think they have to be tough shit. Okay, listen up, here's some street wisdom for you. When someone is busy kicking the crap out of you and you can't run away, you've got three options. Fight back, give up or do nothing."

"You couldn't fight back because you didn't know how and were outnumbered," she said, poking his cheek. "You chose to give up instead, and let them know you were doing so. Now the third option, what you probably think you should have done, is to stay quiet and ride it out like some kind of stoic brick of a man. And yeah, guess what, that's pretty fucking stupid!"

"B-But-"

"I mean, what would that even achieve?" she asked, more to the ceiling than him since she wasn't giving him the time to answer. "Oh, look at me – I can withstand all your pain. All you're doing is telling them they haven't beaten you up enough. You're basically _asking_ them to keep going. That's fine if you have some reason you have to hold on, like a secret you'd die to keep, but when they're just trying to beat you up? It's stupid."

"Those assholes wanted you broken, Jaune." Miltia stared him in the eye and snarled. "They wanted you to give up so they could trash your shop. In that situation, when it's just lien on the line, you better damn well tell them you give up!"

"Things can be replaced," Melanie said, stepping into the bedroom. It was obvious she'd heard them, and judging from her sharp frown she agreed with her sister completely. "You can't. I'm glad you're okay, but if you're going to start acting like you should have done more, I'm going to join Miltia in proving you wrong."

It was too much. He was too dizzy to really understand it all and a lot of what he did catch didn't stick in his head. Even so, he could understand the emotions behind their words and he nodded his head, unable to speak.

"W-What about my shop?" he asked instead. "They ruined it. I… I'm going to go out of business. I can't pay the rent if I have to replace everything. Even with the money I have in the bank, it won't be enough for all the equipment..."

"It's taken care of," Melanie said.

"It's ruined," he whispered. "I can't… how can I…?"

Miltia and Melanie shared a quick look above him.

"Might as well go all the way," Melanie said.

"Not like he'll calm down otherwise," Miltia agreed. "Okay, idiot. Hold your arms out and don't put any weight on your feet. We're going downstairs."

He wanted to ask what they meant but was cut off by them taking hold of him, supporting his weight easily, despite him being that much taller and heavier than either of them. They balanced him between the two of them, doing all the lifting for him as they manoeuvred his injured frame to the door.

There was a spike of fear when he saw it, quickly quashed when he realised there were no sounds from below, and that even if there had been, these two girls would have sorted it out easily. They were strong, unlike him.

"Easy now," Melanie said, easing the door open. "Let us do the stepping. You just dangle between us like a good boy."

"You should count yourself lucky," Miltia giggled. "Most men would kill to be sandwiched between us like this."

He tried to laugh, he really did. The pit in his stomach had only grown as they descended the steps and he dreaded what he'd see when they rounded the corner. He took a deep breath as they reached the bottom and prepared himself for a wave of bitterness.

His eyes watered instead.

It was… it was different, markedly so. The colouring was a little off and the seats and tables were nicer than what he'd been able to afford. The window had his logo and name frosted onto it and was in one piece, while the door had been replaced entirely. The lights were new, dimmer than what he was used to but in an atmospheric way.

The counters, now whole, had numerous huge crates balanced on them, each one still wrapped and positioned where his coffee machines had been. The company logo on the sides told him they were replacements. The entire back wall was covered in cups for some reason, with over two hundred or more hooks driven into the wall, a mug hanging from each, suspended by the handle.

"H-How…?" he tried to ask.

His voice cracked on the single word.

"Eh, you know..." Miltia didn't even try to hide her grin. "Just us two being awesome..."

"Miltia," Melanie warned.

"What?"

"…"

Miltia sighed. "Okay, fine. Some of your friends might have helped. A little." She huffed. "Not as much as we did, though." Her tiny frown seemed to scream that she wanted him to praise her. He would have given it had he been able to. He might have kissed her then and there.

He sobbed instead.

"W-Whoah? You don't like it? I told that stuck-up bitch he didn't need a feature wall – whatever the hell that's even meant to be. I'll kill her when I see her ne- h-hey!"

Miltia cut off when he tried to hug her, stumbled, and would have fallen if not for Melanie catching him with a laugh. It didn't do much for her sister though, who had tried to back away in shock and fallen on her ass. The red twin glared up at him, rubbing her rear.

"The hell was that for? We worked our asses off for this!"

"T-Thank you," Jaune managed through his tears. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Miltia looked away, face unreadable, eyes suddenly wide. "Y-Yeah, whatever. No need to be _that_ grateful, you know."

He didn't manage to respond, not even to point out how contrary she was being. He was too busy trying to control his tears and ask the questions in his head, or just to say something. Instead, it was all he could do to stay conscious past the relief that was crushing him alive.

His eyes caught sight of a large poster on the wall behind the counter, wishing him well and covered in names and messages. He could see Ruby's in bright red pen, but also ones from Blake, Weiss, Yang, Pyrrha, Russel, Velvet – even Oobleck, Ozpin and Glynda. Along with so many of his other customers. Some of them were small and cramped; it was obvious they'd run out of space.

"You guys…"

"Don't say it," Miltia grunted, standing up and taking his arm again. "I don't do mushy, got it? You try it and I'll drop you."

Jaune's eyes watered. He nodded.

"Let's get you back to bed," Melanie suggested. "We can all talk more in the morning. Besides, Russel and Velvet will be coming to open up tomorrow. You'll be back in business, after all. Not a moment too soon as well, since you had loads of thirsty customers today."

Back in business…? Already?

He laughed.

It sounded wonderful.

* * *

 **Ugh, the sappiness. Kill it with fire. Yeah, anyway, there you go. It's not a "everything is fine" despite looking like it. They've replaced Jaune's shop and fixed it up, but the root cause is out there and his sword is still missing, not to mention what this will do to Jaune as a person.**

 **I also totally didn't answer the "aura" and "law" question here, though I did allude a little to it. That's the thing which will be covered a later time. Instead, we had a chapter all on community spirit, with the equivalent of what you might imagine from a Twitter meme "Donate a cup" or something.**

 **Even Ozpin gave his… my God…**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 24** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	19. Chapter 19

**Well, the world didn't end yesterday via the medium of Nibiru. Go us. Such survivors we are.**

 **Anyway, glad to see last chapter was liked even if Ozpin did go madly OOC and give away his mug. Don't worry everyone, he has many, many more – all saying #1 Headmaster, and** _ **none**_ **bought by his colleagues. He buys them himself and even has the store gift wrap them so that he can open them later, gasp, and say "Oh, for me?! I shouldn't have!"**

 **A man can't live hundreds of years hopping between people's minds without getting a little confused along the way.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 19**

* * *

There was something incredibly nerve-wracking about serving coffee to police officers who were there to see you, even if everyone you knew – Russel included – had said it would be okay. Jaune hadn't broken a law in his life, at least not intentionally, but just having them sat on his couch as he poured them some coffee was enough to make him feel he should confess.

To what, he wasn't sure. Maybe the ice-cream he stole from his little sister once. He'd even lied to his mom and said Amber dropped it. He was a terrible big brother and deserved to go to jail!

"Mr Arc?"

"It was just ice-cream!" he blurted out. The two officers, a man and a woman, stared at him bemusedly. Jaune coughed and sat down opposite them. "So, what were you asking?"

"About the damages, Mr Arc," the woman said. "We'll need to build a case file for what happened; we need it to press charges if we catch those responsible." If, not when. She didn't mince words or sugar-coat it. "Unfortunately, with your diner completely restored, it's difficult for us to do that. I was asking if you happened to have any security footage or pictures of the damage."

"Oh right, I may have some footage I can provide…"

"That would be appreciated."

The officers had been nothing less than kind, talking slowly and gently, as though afraid he might bolt. He supposed that was because they feared he might still be rattled after the attack – which he absolutely was.

"Thank you for your co-operation today, sir. We'll compile what we can and put word out looking for the perpetrators, but I want you to understand how difficult it will be for us to find them. There isn't much in the way of evidence, with your missing sword being the only lead we have."

"I-I understand." He didn't like it, but they were just trying to prepare him for reality.

"Now, if you ever feel at risk again or fear another attack, you can contact me directly." She pushed a card across the table. "We'll do what we can to provide police security, but please don't abuse this. Our resources are limited as it is."

"I doubt I'll need it, but thank you." He had Junior and the twins looking out for him after all, and there was no missing the sudden increase of black-suited figures in the neighbourhood, each with red glasses and ties. "Was that all you wanted to see me about?"

The two officers shared a quick look. "No, there was one other thing. I understand your aura unlocked due to the… stress of the situation."

Jaune didn't trust himself to lie, so nodded his head instead. The twins had impressed on him the importance of sticking to that story. "Is there a problem with that?" he asked.

"Yes and no. As an unregistered aura user, you do break some minor laws, but I can take your details before I leave and fix that." The woman smiled to show it wasn't something to be too concerned about. "The bigger problem is how you'll adapt to having your aura unlocked. I'm sure you know it is more commonly used by huntsmen and huntresses. Aura is, by its very nature, a tool for use in combat. Having yours unlocked when you aren't expected to face any might be an issue."

"An issue for me? Is it unhealthy?"

"Not as such. It's more an issue of restraint." The woman nodded to her companion, who reached into a pack he'd brought with him and laid several books and leaflets on his coffee table. They were brightly coloured in some cases and less so in others.

Jaune picked up one and inspected it. "Aura for dummies?" Another. "Aura and you; a child's guide."

"Not that we think you're a child, but the material might still be new to you. People with aura aren't necessarily stronger or faster, but they are hardier and that can lead to clashes of culture, especially around those who can't boast the same," she explained. "These informational guides should give you tips not only on how to adjust, but also how to monitor your aura and also the laws regarding it."

"Laws about aura?"

"They're all rather simple and the leaflets explain them well. Some are just to prevent accidents, but others are to reduce the chance of criminal elements gaining access to aura. It includes a caveat on not unlocking anyone else's aura."

Cinder's face appeared in his vision but he quickly dispelled it. He already knew she'd technically broken the law to help him, but he wouldn't land her in trouble for it. "Is it really that big of a deal? Are you saying if a huntsman's child is dying, he shouldn't unlock their aura to save them?"

"We're not saying that at all, Mr Arc. The law exists for everyday cases and more extreme examples are judged on their own merit. No one is going to arrest someone for saving a child, but we have to have some laws in place to prevent people using their aura to abuse or control others."

It made sense, even if he hadn't read through them all yet. The twins were probably good examples, though not in a way he liked to think about. As long as they weren't roughing anyone up in front of him, he didn't have to. That was part of the reason, other than his harsh work hours, that he wanted to avoid a night out with them. He was afraid he'd see something at Junior's that he couldn't ignore.

"Alright, I understand. Thank you for everything, officers."

"Not a problem, Mr Arc. I understand you have several students from Beacon working for you, so if you have any questions regarding your new aura, they will know better than we do. I'll just need you to fill in some forms so we can register you as an aura user please."

In the end it didn't take long to fill in the forms, those being fairly simple ones on where he lived, name, date of birth, next of kin, contact details and such. There was a disclaimer to sign saying he understood his aura did not exclude him from laws, nor give him any legal, societal or cultural standing over any others, and that he understood breaking any laws _would_ result in his arrest and incarceration pending trial.

It sounded scary but it wasn't and Russel helped him through it, explaining away some of the scarier terms as things every huntsman or huntress had to agree to. Really, it was just Vale trying to keep track of everyone so that if a crime happened from a specific Semblance, they could track it. Of course, he didn't have one yet, but even knowing he _had_ aura was worth noting.

"It also changes how the courts look at self-defence," Russel explained once he was done and the police had departed. "You know self-defence is where the force you use to protect yourself is _necessary_ and _reasonable_ , right? Well, you having aura pushes up the _reasonable_ side of it a little more."

"How so?"

"Well, imagine that a man comes at you with a bat. He's desperate, drunk and obviously doesn't know how to fight, but he has a weapon. He could kill you with that if you were a normal person, so if you had a gun and used it, you would be able to claim self-defence. It's an extreme example and would only work if you could convince people you had _no other option_ , but that's the point. If you have aura, that bat isn't nearly as dangerous anymore. It still is, but you can take a few hits, so drawing a gun straight away and shooting him is not as reasonable anymore."

Russel picked up one of the leaflets and flicked through it. "If he hit you and beat you up and your aura was low, it would be, but not straight out. The same applies for huntsmen and huntresses. We're stronger than average people, so we're expected to be capable of subduing someone without annihilating them."

"It sounds complicated…"

"It really isn't, since I doubt you'll be donning a mask and cape to fight crime." He gave Jaune an inquisitive look over the top of the leaflet.

"I hadn't planned to, but now that you mention it that's a good idea for a themed weekend."

"Oh goodie, spandex." Russel rolled his eyes when Jaune laughed. "Seriously though, most of these are for people intending to become huntsmen, so it won't apply to you. Some will, like the boy who thought he was invincible." He waved one before Jaune's face. "It's basically a story about a boy who unlocked his aura, felt invincible, and then died showing off to his friends."

"Gruesome…"

"It's a lesson that aura isn't everything, so don't rely on it and take stupid risks."

Again, common sense, though maybe that was only because he was seventeen and not seven. Even as Jaune looked down at his hand, opening and closing his fist, he could feel his aura _humming_ beneath the surface. It felt invigorating in a way he couldn't recognise; like he'd been tired all his life without ever realising it, but now he'd finally gotten a full night's rest.

It felt good. And therein lay the problem. He already felt stronger than he had before, and it would be so easy to let that get to your head. In the end, it was no different than those billboards and adverts warning drunken people not to take any unnecessary risks. Just because they _felt_ invincible, didn't mean they were.

Russel excused himself to go down and help Velvet with the store, leaving Jaune to inspect himself in the mirror and flick through one or two of the booklets left behind. They really were basic, and obviously meant for people much younger than he, but he forced himself to read a few and set some more aside for reading before bed. Before he went downstairs, he paused to test his shoulder, wincing at the pain still present, but marvelling at the fact he could move it at all.

It had only been two days since the attack and he was already further along in healing than he had been in weeks with a cast. He still needed the cast now, newly slung, but it felt like it would be healed before the week was over.

Originally, he'd intended to only keep Russel and Velvet until then, but now? Well, he wasn't so sure. With the lien lost, he'd have to tighten his belt somewhat, but they more than made up for their cost and it was nice to have people helping every now and then.

With a long sigh, Jaune tied on his apron one-handed, and went headed downstairs.

No rest for the wicked.

/-/

Pyrrha nodded as Russel put her mug down. No words passed between them, nor did they really make eye-contact, be he grunted something that might have been a greeting and she smiled whimsically at the table. He passed by soon after, leaving her alone. Honestly, it was a little sad that she considered that an improvement on both their parts. At least they could be in the same room without snapping at one another.

Her attention was naturally fixed on the door behind the counter, not that such was lost on Russel or Velvet, who she was fairly sure knew she harboured some kind of feelings for their employer. Pyrrha had tried to convince herself it was subtle, but it really wasn't. She might as well have carried a placard around.

Still, such thoughts didn't matter much compared to the concern she felt. The last time she'd seen him he'd been unconscious in his bed, battered and bruised. He hadn't woken up and eventually she'd been forced to leave, knowing Miss Goodwitch wouldn't be so forgiving if she missed another day of school.

Once the day ended, she'd rushed here – along with a suspicious amount of people, all of which had crammed into the Bullheads and marched down the streets like some kind of invading army. Pyrrha giggled at the thought. Jaune's was more popular than she'd ever realised, though maybe she shouldn't have been so surprised. The same things that had attracted her to him could no doubt work for others.

And wasn't that a concerning thought? She'd seen the two twins – pretty and confident in ways she wasn't – and she'd seen them cater to and move around Jaune's apartment like they were used to it. It was a strange thing to feel so threatened, and something Pyrrha Nikos wasn't used to. She couldn't say she liked it, either.

 _The one time I want something enough to fight for it, and it's not something I can have at the swing of a sword,_ she bemoaned. This wasn't a battlefield she was used to. The rules were different and she had no idea what the best strategy was.

When Jaune finally stepped out from behind the wall and into the diner, Pyrrha wasn't the only one who stared. She was just the least subtle about it. Everyone who had come today had done so with the express intent of seeing if he was okay, and there were more than a few sighs of relief. Fixing the diner was one thing, but fixing a person was much harder.

While most were content with a cursory glance, she looked deeper, noticing the way he gingerly moved around the new machinery and also how little work he did compared to usual. Part of that was thanks to Russel and Velvet taking things out of his hands every time he tried to help (and always managing to make it look like it was unintentional, much to Pyrrha's amusement), but more than that it was a sign of fatigue on his part.

Understandable, she supposed. His aura, so recently unlocked, must have been stretched to the max to try and heal his body. She was just glad he was on his feet. Pyrrha waved to try and catch his attention, but pouted when four others beat her to it, Team RWBY clustering around the counter to chat with him.

She tried not to be jealous, she really did.

It didn't quite hide the glares she shot into their backs, however.

 _You could go up and talk to him as well,_ her mind pointed out. _Nothing is stopping you. Just stand up, walk over and act normally. They're not going to send you away._

True, but that would also require her to have something to say, and to be confident enough to say it in front of four other students. Pyrrha bit her lip and remained seated, sipping at her caramel mocha and using the mug to hide her displeasure. Was it really so hard to get him alone for a little bit? She knew Team RWBY were worried about their friend, but they could see he was fine, so now they could sit down and let Pyrrha have him for a few hours.

The unusual thoughts made her blink, and then sigh into the palm of one hand. Good lord, she sounded terrible. This whole `liking someone` thing was apparently much harder than it was advertised to be. Girl meets boy, girl likes boy, girl goes out with boy and lives happily ever after certainly seemed to be missing some rather integral steps!

"Hey Pyrrha."

Someone was talking to her. Pyrrha blinked and looked up, realising that someone was sat in the seat opposite her. Someone with blonde hair, blue eyes and a wide smile. She'd been so distracted she hadn't seen him approach, let alone sit down. She gasped, which proved to be a poor idea with her mocha held up to her lips.

On the bright side, no one seemed capable of recognising the famous Pyrrha Nikos when her face was splattered with whipped cream and froth. On the bad side, she'd just made a fool of herself in front of Jaune. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

"H-Hey, are you okay?" he asked, quickly snatching a napkin and handing it to her. Pyrrha wiped her face clean, not quite meeting his eyes. "Did I interrupt your thoughts? I can go if you were thinking about something."

"Please don't," she replied, too embarrassed to feel embarrassed, which didn't make much sense but was about how she felt.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I just broke my ego." When he looked confused, she carried on. "Don't worry about it. Besides, I should be the one asking you if you're okay after what happened."

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine."

Pyrrha didn't miss the brief hesitation, nor the way Jaune's eyes flicked towards the front window. Any thoughts of her feelings vanished as concern washed over her. After being attacked so savagely, it made sense he'd be nervous, especially in the very place it happened. Her first instinct was to ask what was wrong, but she tempered it. No one would just admit to someone what they were feeling because they asked.

"The diner looks a lot nicer now with the new decorations," she said instead. She slapped the seat beneath her, the plush red leather. "These are wonderful."

"Ha, yeah. The twins for them, though I've no idea where from. I should thank them for that."

Pyrrha's eye twitched. That wasn't the subject she'd been looking for.

"Well, it's good that everyone chipped in to help repair the place. Even I was there." It was a little selfish of her to say it out loud, but hey, she didn't want her hard work to go unnoticed. "Things are back to normal, at least in terms of the diner."

"That's a miracle in itself," he said. "I thought for sure it was all over…"

By all rights it should have been, but Jaune had made some powerful friends, whether he realised it or not. Still, staying here when he was being reminded of what happened wasn't doing him any good. "Russel and Velvet wouldn't let that happen, and it looks like they're able to run the place without you."

"Hm, they were good finds for me."

"You're also still recovering today, so you shouldn't be working."

"I know, I know. Don't think I haven't noticed those two watching me to make sure I don't do anything. Russel even made it sound like I could help by talking to you, saying something about how only I could provide what you were looking for."

Pyrrha's face flared with colour, though thankfully Jaune didn't notice. She made a mental note to do something horrible to Russel, perhaps involving freezing cold metal sneaking under his blankets while he slept. How dare he say something like that!

No matter how true!

"W-Well, it's not quite like that. Anyway, the point I was trying to make was that you shouldn't be cooped up in here all day. You can't relax if you're at work and recovery is about more than just the body." Especially in his case, if he was showing signs of panic just being here. "You should go for a walk and get some fresh air. I'll come with you if you like," she added, quickly volunteering before anyone else could.

"Leave the diner…?" He didn't seem convinced.

Luckily, Pyrrha had support in the form of the waitress who had been serving the table behind Jaune. "I think that's a good idea," she said, smiling and nodding at Pyrrha to show she was on board. "Russel and I can look after things here and you should be avoiding stress."

"Velvet? But I don't want to leave you guys on your own…"

"It's what we're paid to do. We'll be fine."

Pyrrha nodded along, making a mental note to tip heavily, very heavily. "You can't hover over them all the time, Jaune. You need to trust your employees more."

"I do trust them."

"Then there's no reason not to, right?" Velvet asked, trapping him.

Jaune had no exit.

"W-Well, if Russel agrees as well."

"Oh he will, I'll go ask him now." Velvet rushed off to do so, obviously intent on getting Jaune out of the diner as soon as possible. On that, they were of a shared mind. He really shouldn't be stuck inside when he needed rest.

And hey, it wasn't like her motives were entirely selfish, either. She'd look after him and make sure he got plenty of rest and relaxation with just the two of them. It wasn't like she had any ulterior motives in mind, or at least any that would go against what was best for him.

Well…

Not much, anyway…

It was with such selfless thoughts in mind that Pyrrha was surprised as instead of Velvet returning, the four members of Team RWBY did instead. The leader, Ruby Rose, smiled happily. "Hey Jaune, Velvet said you were going for a walk to get some fresh air. Russel says he's cool with it but he wanted to come along, too. Is that okay?"

Pyrrha opened her mouth to politely insist she had it covered.

"That's fine with me," Jaune said. "The more the merrier."

"Great!"

Pyrrha looked beyond the four, to the faunus at the counter, who smiled back apologetically and shrugged. Velvet mouthed an apology, but made a sign to say it happened before she could stop it.

Pyrrha sighed.

Damn it…

/-/

Blake had to wonder if anyone else on her team had noticed the not-so-subtle looks Pyrrha Nikos was sending them as the group of six made their way through one of Vale's many parks, pausing by a fountain to sit down while Yang and Weiss went off to get them all some ice-creams. It wasn't an angry look by any means, more of a mournful one mixed with a little frustration. It was the look of someone who'd just been cock-blocked and didn't know how to say it, nor wanted to suggest such to someone as cute and friendly as Ruby.

It didn't look like Pyrrha was angry or upset enough to make an issue of it, more annoyed the opportunity had eluded her, but it was still a source of silent amusement for Blake; more because Jaune hadn't realised and likely wouldn't.

 _I could tell him, but that would make an enemy of Pyrrha. Hm, I suppose that in the end it's his life to live. I shouldn't try and interfere._

Not any more than she already had, anyway. In all truth, the only reason she was out here with him was because her team didn't like the idea of Jaune walking around alone, not out of fear of what Pyrrha might do – though that was an equally amusing thought – but because the ones who had hurt him the first time were still out there.

And call her paranoid, but her time with the White Fang had shown her that not all attacks were done spontaneously. Jaune had been targeted, and whether that was for his lien or something else, it didn't change the fact that he might become a target again. For helping her out with the White Fang, he'd earned what little protection she could give.

 _And it's still amusing to see Pyrrha try and get a word in edge-ways against Ruby,_ she thought, watching the redhead becoming increasingly upset that Ruby was monopolising the conversation. She was being beaten by a girl who wasn't even interested in Jaune that way.

"Hey," Yang said, returning and handing her a cone. "One tuna flavour ice-cream."

Blake scowled. "I asked for vanilla."

"I wanted to surprise you."

A tentative lick of the ice-cream revealed it was, in fact, vanilla. She scowled at Yang's satisfied smirk. "You're a real piece of work, Yang."

"I'm a masterpiece, you mean." Yang dropped onto the seat heavily, nudging Blake aside so they could share the same spot. It was an overly familiar and annoying thing to do, which meant it fit Yang to a tee. "So, how is our resident barista?"

"Distracted by Pyrrha and Ruby," she reported.

"Hm, not as much the former as Pyrrha would like, I'm sure."

Blake snorted. Poor Pyrrha.

"I can see what Russ meant, though. He's way more relaxed now that he's out of there. I can't believe I didn't see it before; he was like a spring coiled too tight."

"From his point of view, it's been less than twelve hours of consciousness since he was brutally attacked. He's going to be nervous for a while, especially in the exact place it happened. Give him time. He'll get over it."

"You think it's PTSD?"

"I think it's stress caused by trauma," Blake said cautiously, "but I don't think we can assume it's that bad yet, or that it'll ever become that bad. It all depends on him." There was often a tendency to leap too far with that, especially from someone as crazy as Yang, or concerned as Ruby. But it really was a little too much to assume that.

It was just as likely Jaune was just reliving the memories or hadn't had time to process them. It happened to the best of them and Blake had her own share of such encounters, not just from when she left the White Fang, but also the first time she'd gotten injured on a mission and nearly died. It was normal, though something a civilian shouldn't have to go through.

"We'll just have to offer what support we can," Blake said.

"Looks like Pyrrha is all for that, bow-chicka-wow-wow."

"Be nice…"

/-/

"Are you really okay?" Ruby asked, in a rare moment where she and Jaune were sat alone. They'd been surrounded by people for so long that they hadn't had much time to talk, at least not privately.

"Hm? I'm fine." He flashed her a smile, but Ruby's eyes didn't waver. She didn't believe him. "I'm okay," he pressed again. "Yeah, some bad stuff happened but it's over and done with now. There's nothing to worry about."

"Even if that's true, it must have had some effect on you."

He laughed it off. "Nah, I'm fine."

"Jaune…" Ruby tugged on his arm when he tried to look away, bringing him back to face her. She kept her voice low enough that no one could overhear. "I'm your friend, aren't I?"

"Of course you are."

"And if I was hurt, you'd be worried about me, wouldn't you?"

"Absolutely."

"If I was injured and you wanted to help me, wouldn't it hurt if I lied to your face and pretended everything was okay, even when it clearly isn't?"

"You… You sure know how to ask difficult questions, Ruby…"

She smiled and poked his arm. "Doesn't make them any less true."

"No, it doesn't." No less painful either, though not in the way that she'd hurt him. He wasn't a complete idiot and knew everyone was worried about him, Ruby and Pyrrha especially. It was just that he'd never been one to like discussing his problems.

That went back a long way, back to his sisters and growing up with so many older siblings, many of which could be quite defensive of him, violently defensive if the bullies at school got hold of him. He knew they meant well and loved him, but those same bullies would take it out on him twice as hard when his sisters weren't around, and the teasing – being known as the boy who relied on girls to fight for him – hurt.

It didn't hurt now, or at least not as much. Children could be fairly misogynistic, not knowing better, and it was hard to see girls as weak or cootie-ridden when you were seventeen and your female friends were all Grimm-slaying huntresses.

Still, it somehow felt _unmanly_ to tell Ruby how he felt. Admitting it, or realising it, made him feel arrogant and foolish. Ruby was right. Had the situations been reversed, he would have pressed and pressed for an answer.

"I'm nervous," he admitted.

"Nervous?" Ruby cocked her head but waited patiently for him to continue. She smiled to tell him it was okay, their knees bumping together.

"Or maybe not nervous; I think I'm frightened. I'm scared of going home tonight and being alone – and I know that sounds stupid, but-"

"It doesn't," Ruby interrupted.

"Huh?"

"It doesn't sound stupid."

He sighed. "Ruby, I appreciate you being a friend and all, but me being afraid to stay in my own apartment isn't normal. I feel like a kid afraid of the dark."

"Except that you're not, silly. You're a man who was just assaulted afraid of being attacked again. That sounds pretty reasonable to me. I mean, if you're going to be in the _same_ situation, then yeah, it makes perfect sense you'd be nervous. And it's not childish," she added.

Ruby went on before he could speak. "See, I remember when I was young I had to go to the dentist. Yang and Dad told me it wouldn't hurt but it did! I had to have a tooth removed because I'd knocked it loose in a spar with Uncle Qrow." Her eyes darkened and she muttered something murderous under her breath. "I went to the dentist happy because I trusted them, but it hurt. It hurt a lot. Now, I'm afraid of them."

"That's…" He wasn't sure what it was, but it both somehow didn't feel the same as his, but also felt so very _Ruby_ at the same time. He couldn't help but laugh, and when he saw her face a moment later he realised she'd done that on purpose, for she looked proud of her story.

"Hey, it makes sense," she defended. "Tell me a single time you went to the dentist and had a _good_ time." He couldn't, of course, and shook his head. "See! Anyway, it applies to other stuff, too. If you go into a forest and get attacked by a Beowolf, you would feel afraid of going in again. That's not childish; it's common sense. Maybe here it's a little different," she said. "This is your home, so you don't want to be scared away, but that doesn't mean you should feel ashamed of _being_ afraid in the first place."

She said it with such certainty, such confidence, and such a warm smile on her face, that he couldn't doubt her, even for a second. He glanced away, laughed softly, and then whispered, "Thanks, Ruby."

"Heh. You also helped me with my fear, you know?"

"Which, coffee?"

"No – well, yeah." The two of them laughed. "But also my fear of making friends at Beacon. I was able to talk to you normally, and that gave me the confidence I needed to talk to Weiss and Blake, too. Which… went terribly," she admitted, "on both accounts. But it all worked out in the end, so yeah."

"And you gave me the confidence I needed to wait on people," he said.

"We both helped each other, which is how you know we're friends. And you helped me when Blake went missing, remember? I already owe you one. Let me help here."

Here? With his doubt and his shame?

He laughed.

"You already have, Ruby. You already have."

/-/

"This somehow felt worse last time," Jaune said, laughing as he prepared the couch for Blake to sleep on. "I'm really sorry about this."

"Don't be," the faunus replied. "I'm happy to help and I can get back to Beacon in the morning without missing any lessons. Besides, you helped me find the White Fang, put me up for a weekend _and_ reunited me with my team. I think a single night guarding your shop is a small price to pay."

He nodded gratefully, wondering if she knew the real reason why Ruby had asked one of her team to stay. In the end, he decided it didn't matter. If Blake knew, and she was smart enough to, then she wouldn't say it out loud and embarrass him.

"Thanks," he said, again. "I hope this isn't too uncomfortable for you."

"I've slept here before, and it's not all that worse than what I have in Beacon."

"My couch is as good as your beds?" he asked sceptically.

"You haven't seen what Yang and Ruby did to them." She sighed. "At least here I don't have to worry about Yang crushing me in my sleep. Don't ask," she said, noticing his raised eyebrow. "It's a mess. Just believe me when I say _this_ isn't a bother. At least you don't snore like a Beowolf prowling through a forest."

"Yang?"

"Who else?"

Jaune laughed, feeling a little more relaxed with the easy conversation – and who would have guessed he'd ever find someone like Blake to be easy small-talk. In truth it was just having someone with him that helped keep his nerves down. If those people came back, Blake would destroy them. A part of him wished they would just to see it, but it was a tiny part crushed by every other piece of him hoping they never came anywhere near him again.

He sighed and locked up the diner for the evening, leaving Blake to have a moment alone upstairs to get changed and have a shower. Where before he might have felt humiliated to have had to ask someone to keep him company, he didn't feel it now. _There's no shame in being nervous after what happened,_ he told himself, recalling Ruby's earnest words. Despite his doubt, he felt himself stand a little taller.

Ruby hadn't led him wrong yet.

Team RWBY and Pyrrha had kept him busy all day, distracting him with this and that and generally being amazing friends, one and all. While he wasn't sure he deserved it all, he was grateful nonetheless. As he was to Velvet and Russel for looking after the place while he was unable to.

He spared one final look for the window, freshly replaced after the last one had been smashed in, and let out a relieved laugh. He was still a little jumpy, but nothing had happened and chances were that nothing would.

Fear was just that, a human response to a stimulus, imagined or otherwise. He wouldn't let it control him.

"Maybe there was no need to worry after all…"

/-/

A figure stood in an alley opposite the dimly-lit window and stooped low. With a hoodie drawn up and a makeshift handkerchief tied about his mouth, he stooped down to pick up a large brick discarded next to an overflowing trash can. A brief glance back to the window served to judge the distance required to put it straight through the frosted coffee cup sign.

With a quick toss and catch to test the weight, the figure reared back with one hand and _threw_ with all his might.

Nothing happened.

No crashing window, no alarm, no brick hurtling through the air. It was nowhere to be seen. The figure stared down at their hand in confusion, before they turned to see if they'd somehow dropped it and not realised.

A brick struck him in the face, dropping him instead.

Neo tossed it up and down in her hand, before letting it fall and crack down onto the tarmac. She'd have liked to drop it on his skull, perhaps fatally, but had better things in mind. With a wide grin that didn't quite hide her malice, she crouched down and took hold of the guy's shoulders, dragging him away.

Roman would want to have words with this one.

* * *

 **Someone goofed – and I suppose this confirms several things, not least of all that Pyrrha likes Jaune (WHO KNEW!?) but more importantly that there is more going on here than meets the eye. Dum, dum, dum!**

 **And no one was surprised!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 8** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	20. Chapter 20

**Here we go.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 20**

* * *

"It's quiet," Jaune said.

"I'd say too quiet," Russel added, looking up from the machine he was cleaning. That he had time to do that was a big enough thing alone, especially on an afternoon where it was just the two of them, Velvet spending time with her team in Beacon. "We're normally flush with customers by now, or at least we'd have some."

"We do have some."

Russel rolled his eyes. "More than four."

Jaune might have argued there were eight actually, two to each table, but it didn't change the fact there were four sets of customers and that such was a suspiciously low number for six in the afternoon. This was their rush hour, or at least it normally was. There was no rushing around at the moment.

"I'm going to go take a look," Jaune said. "Can you hold the fort here?"

"Me, alone, against four tables? Somehow I think I'll manage."

It was Jaune's turn to roll his eyes as he walked by the employee to the wall, hanging his apron on it for a few moments. He didn't want to walk around outside in it. His arm was still in a sling, but no longer a cast and he could move his shoulder a little, though it still stung when he did. Blake had taken a look at it that morning and said it would probably be good to go in a few days. He'd visit a doctor just to be sure, but it certainly felt better.

The air was cool outside, the sun still in the sky but having passed beyond the tall buildings on either side of Walker Street. The cobbled road was lined with shadows, but tellingly wasn't lined with pedestrians. "Huh, that's odd. It's usually busier around this time."

Jaune's feet brought him down to the south end of Walker Street, toward the business district which had once made up the majority of his customer base, before it was overtaken with huntsmen and huntresses, that was. He still got the occasional to-go order from men and women on their way home, especially from the science park nearby, an industrial complex for researchers and the like. Around this time, they should have been on their way home and in need of a pick-me-up.

Instead of finding the road toward the business district, he came across a bright red metal fence with its legs cast in cement blocks, crossing Walker Street from side to side and cutting off the entire street. The fencing had signs on it warning of danger and warning away pedestrians, and although there wasn't much in the centre of it, there was a portable cabin of sorts, along with a locked container. Beside that was a man in a brightly-coloured vest, looking at his scroll.

Jaune tapped his hand on the fencing to get his attention. "Hello? Excuse me." He smiled when the man looked up, blinked and walked over. "Yes, hi. Um, can I ask what's going on here?"

"Construction work," the man replied. "If you need to go around, you can follow Walker Street to the end, take a left or right and go down Greene Street or Banks Road. Can't let you through here, I'm afraid. More than our insurance is worth."

"No, no, I don't need to get through. I run a coffee shop here." He gestured back towards it but gave up when he realised it was out of sight. "Look, I just wanted to know how long this is going to go on for. It's kind of affecting my business."

"Sorry about that," the man said, not sounding too sorry – not that he should, Jaune supposed. It wasn't this guy's fault. "It's essential maintenance on the pathway here and couldn't be put off, or at least that's what the Council tells us."

"The Council of Vale?"

"The local District Council." The man saw his confused and quickly explained, "The Council of Vale makes the big decisions that affect the whole city, but there's too much to do. The District Councils are smaller ones – fully elected, of course – but they deal with the day-to-day stuff in a smaller area and get their budgets from the Council of Vale. That includes budget for maintenance and repairs. As for time, well, we've not even started yet, but I'd say four months."

"F-Four months!?"

"Well, if all goes well the work should be done in two to three," the foreman offered, noticing Jaune's distress. "We say four to cover ourselves. You should have had a warning about this a few days ago. A letter in the post?"

"No, not at all…" But then there'd been the attack. It wasn't hard to imagine it being lost in all that and the confusion afterwards. "Isn't this a little short notice, though? Shouldn't we get more warning if it's going to impact our business for that long?"

"I don't make the decisions there. Local council just told us we had to start today and we did. We're a business too, you know." The man was starting to look increasingly uncomfortable with the questions, so Jaune nodded and let him go, walking a ways away himself to sit on a bench and consider his options.

Four months with one end of Walker Street cut off… It wouldn't stop all pedestrians and people could still reach him, but it would gut the natural flow of pedestrians through the street, who made up a good bulk of his customer base, at least for impulse buys and takeaway orders. The usual cast of huntsmen and huntresses could still find their way through the other end, but that raised the question of why they hadn't.

"They wouldn't cut off both ends, would they? No, that's stupid. I'd have heard about it if they did, or Russel would have mentioned it." If the south end of Walker Street led to the business district, the north end was better connected to the centre of Vale and all its amenities, including the Bullhead docks and the international airdocks. It was also the route most people took from Beacon, so Russel would have come down it earlier.

It was about fifty metres past his own diner that he heard the distant hum of music, and it only grew louder as he reached the end of Walker Street, where a large crowd seemed to be congregating at the corner. It didn't quite cut off the street, covering only about a half of it, but everyone who looked to be headed down instead diverted to see what the fuss was about. Jaune's eyes narrowed and he too joined the throng, struggling to see over the top of people's shoulders.

"Hey there," a chirpy voice called from behind. A young woman stood there, either his age or a little older. She wore a tight-fitting black top and a black apron, both of which had a golden coffee cup emblazoned on it.

Café Prime. So, this was their new outlet? He tried to fight the pit that opened up in his stomach at the crowd behind him, and the panic of being discovered. Luckily, it seemed the girl didn't recognise him, since she was still smiling.

"Uh, hey," he returned. "I was just wondering what was going on."

"It's the grand opening of Café Prime's Walker Street diner. Welcome!" The girl let out an overly-friendly and obviously-fake giggle and pushed a flier into his hands. "You're welcome to a free cup when you order one inside."

Jaune glanced down at it and then back to the packed diner, which had people spilling out onto the streets. "I doubt I could get inside."

"Oh that, well, since it's our opening we thought we should do something special to commemorate. We got Olly Firs to come down and perform for the opening." Her eyes flicked back to the diner herself and he had the feeling she'd have loved to be inside rather than out here.

"Ah, right. Well, I'll leave you to it. I've got somewhere to be."

"Yeah, sure…" Her interest waned quickly and she barely noticed when he slipped away. The music continued to blast out, and now that he was closer he could recognise it a song he'd heard recently on the radio. Well, at least now he had an explanation for it.

He hurried back to share the news with Russel.

"So, they got some famous celebrity to come down? Olly Firs is a singer and songwriter, I think."

Jaune nodded in response to Russel's question, earning a long sigh. It more than explained why they'd had no customers, especially in conjunction with the sudden road works. Anyone headed his way had to pass Café Prime, and were all being drawn in by the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It definitely hurt his sales for the day, which were looking to be a resounding loss, at least for today.

"It'll be fine," Jaune said. "I doubt they can keep it up and it's just one day. They can't have a celebrity every day, right?"

"Probably not. Still, feels a little convenient. The road works, I mean," he added when Jaune didn't understand. "The timing is ridiculous and this plays right into their hands."

"You think Café Prime made the local council close the street? Isn't it just the other way around? The guy said letters had been sent out, so Café Prime would have known. They did this today to take advantage of it."

"Hm, you're probably right," Russel said.

The door to the diner opened, the sound enough in the relative silence to catch both their attentions, though once Russel realised who it was, he scoffed silently and looked away, making it clear he wasn't going to serve this person.

Jaune was used to it, thankfully, and moved over to the girl's table as she sat down. "Evening Pyrrha."

"Good evening Jaune," the redhead returned, smiling. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination or not, but she looked especially good today, with a little shadow around her eyes and a somehow even smoother complexion. "It's quiet today. Is something wrong?"

"Didn't you see the commotion at the end of Walker Street?"

"I come here though the back alleys."

He had to raise an eyebrow at that. The back alleys weren't exactly dangerous – not in the upmarket areas of Vale – but it certainly wasn't the quickest or easiest route from the Bullhead docks to the diner.

"It's quieter," Pyrrha explained, though it didn't really explain much. She seemed unwilling to say more. "What's happening on Walker Street?" she asked. "You said something about a commotion."

He explained for her benefit what he'd already seen, filling in the details as best he could. "It's just both being at the same time that causes the issue," he finished. "Though I imagine that was on purpose on Café Prime's end."

"I-I see," Pyrrha said, sounding oddly nervous for some reason. "It must be hard on you."

"Well, it's just the one day. Honestly, I guess I'm kind of relieved." He noticed her inquisitive look and quickly explained, "Well, at least this makes sense. If it wasn't anything like this, I'd have to wonder if I'd done something wrong. I'd rather it be them doing something than me messing up."

"That makes sense."

"And besides, it's not like I can convince a celebrity to come down and endorse my place."

Pyrrha laughed weakly. "No, I… I guess not."

"Is something wrong, Pyrrha?"

"No, I…" She sighed. "I think I'm just a little thirsty. Can I get my usual?"

Oh, sheesh, he hadn't even served her. Jaune slapped a hand into his face. "Sorry about that, you didn't come here to hear me whine about my problems. One caramel cappuccino coming right up." It was a matter of a minute or two to make it while Russel looked after the other customers, pointedly ignoring Pyrrha, who pointedly ignored him in turn.

When he came back, Pyrrha's face was calm again and she smiled at him, whatever earlier thoughts haunted her gone. "What are you going to do about Café Prime, then?" she asked as he served her coffee and sat down.

"Well, I'll just try to keep going. You sure you want to talk about my problems?"

"It's fine with me. I want to help."

"I'm not sure you can," he said with a laugh. It was only when she remained silent that he realised how that might sound. "Not that that's a bad thing. I mean, this is _my_ business. You already helped me with everyone else when my place was ransacked, but business is business. I need to sort this out on my own."

"They're not," Pyrrha said. "Isn't calling in a celebrity endorsement considered cheating?"

"I think Weiss would say there's no such thing as cheating in business. Only what's legal and what isn't." And a few other things to boot, mostly about how the business world was cutthroat and ruthless. He hadn't believed that himself, but he did now.

"Weiss Schnee," Pyrrha mused. "I forgot she came here."

"She was here the other day…"

"Well, yes, but I was more focused on making sure you were okay," Pyrrha said. "And it's not like I spoke with her or her team on that walk."

"Aren't they your classmates?" he had to ask.

"Yes, well…"

"You're not friends?"

"I-It's not that…" Pyrrha squirmed awkwardly. "Or maybe it is, but I don't _dislike_ her or anything. We're just not close. I don't really talk much with her or Team RWBY, so I don't know them very well."

He made a sound of understanding and relaxed a little. It was awkward enough with Pyrrha and Russel having whatever they did between them without him having to juggle Team RWBY and Pyrrha, too. And honestly, he'd have started to think there was fire to go along with the smoke if that were the case. "Associates, then," he said.

"I suppose that's not a bad term…"

"They're good girls, you know. You'd like them."

"Maybe…"

It didn't look like Pyrrha was keen on the idea of getting to know them anymore than she already did, which seemed odd. Pyrrha was friendly and seemed to genuinely like chatting with him, so he couldn't understand why she wouldn't want to do the same with the others. Russel caught his eye over her head, however, and shook his head, telling him to leave it be.

Maybe that was for the best. If Pyrrha didn't want to try and be friends with them, then he doubted Team RWBY would appreciate him trying to force her on them. Some people just didn't get on, he supposed. "It's fine," he said. "I-"

The door opened again with the tinkle of a bell, and was quickly followed by a familiar voice.

"Oh, Jaune~" Miltia cooed. "Your two favourite people in the world are here."

The twins. Jaune rolled his eyes and muttered a quick apology to Pyrrha, who let him go with a thoughtful – if troubled – nod of her own. He'd barely turned when the twins had hold of him and dragged him over to another table, sitting him down opposite them.

"Be a dear, Russ," Melanie called.

The huntsman in training rolled his eyes. "It's Russel."

"Ah, ah, the customer is always right."

"Not when it's you two." Despite his words, Russel went off to handle their order, leaving Jaune to his fate.

"Poo, he's no fun."

"Not as fun as you are," Miltia added, rubbing her foot against Jaune's knee. He flushed at the intimate gesture, not only proving her point but earning a delighted giggle for it. "There we go. Aw, you're so adorable it hurts."

"I'm not an animal."

"No, but you _are_ our little puppy. Isn't that right, sis?"

"Sure feels like it," Melanie agreed cattishly, brushing her long hair past her bare shoulders and the white boa she wore around her neck. It looked like the two were in full teasing mode, which meant his life was about to get a whole lot more complicated.

"Isn't it a little late for the two of you to be here? You already came for both your daily orders. I figured Junior would have you working the floors."

"We're paid to look sexy and deal with asshats," Melanie said.

"Which means we're paid to do what comes naturally," Miltia teased, pausing to wink at her sister. "But not much of either at the moment, what with Firs over there stealing all the customers."

"You know about Café Prime, then."

Melanie nodded. "Yes, it was hard to miss when it happened. News travels fast." She eyed him with a smile. "If you pay attention to it, that is. Either way, between the street being cut off and that fop singing his soppy love ballads, the Club is pretty much empty."

"And that's put Junior in a right mood," Miltia said. "Hence our decision to grace your petty life with our presence."

"Because your boss intimidates you?"

"Hey." Miltia kicked his shin lightly. He knew it was light because aura or not, she was huntress-trained and could have shattered it if she really wanted to. "Junior doesn't scare us. Nothing does."

"It's more that there's not much reasoning with him when he's like this," Melanie explained. "If someone normally acted like that we'd kick their ass, but it's frowned on to do that to your boss. So, we decided to remove the temptation and come here." She paused as Russel came back with their drinks and a plate with several slices of cake on it. "Hm, delicious. Thanks Russ-baby."

"It's… oh, sod it." Russel sighed. "They're all yours, boss. I'll handle the rest."

 _Traitor_ , Jaune thought, watching his employee abandon him to his fate.

"No work tonight, then?" he asked.

"We probably will later, once it all dies down, but not now. I doubt Junior expected Café Prime to cost him money. They'll probably end up regretting that." Melanie smiled at the thought and tapped a finger against her lips.

Jaune remained silent. He'd made them promise not to do anything to Café Prime because of him, like trying to sabotage them to help him out, but if they wanted to do it because their business was affected? Well, it wasn't his place to get involved. It wasn't like he was _endorsing_ it. No way. He just wasn't about to complain if something happened.

Totally different. Sure it was.

"It's not all bad," Miltia said. "Junior rented out one of the backrooms to an old friend who has a… _interview_ to attend to. Very hush-hush," she added when he raised an eyebrow. She winked. "As in, it has to remain hush-hush or people might be upset."

"This is one of those things I'm not supposed to ask about, isn't it?"

"Maybe~" they replied in unison, sharing a look and giggling at his expense.

Jaune sighed. "You two…"

"Oh, you know we love you," Melanie cooed, placing her hand on his. The gesture might have been more supportive had not the _both of them_ started to run their feet up the inside of his legs. His face was red, even if he didn't close his legs for some reason.

 _It's not that I enjoy it,_ he told himself, lying through his teeth. Who could enjoy being teased by two attractive girls like that? No one, that was who.

Don't worry your little head," Melanie leaned over to pat it for emphasis. "We're just looking out for our interests. It's all business, you see. We can't have people trying to harm things that belong to us. You're better off not knowing."

"For your own sake," Miltia added. "It's just one of our friends talking to another friend, trying to sort out a little misunderstanding about something. Construction work, I recall."

"Construction?" Jaune asked.

"Definitely bricks involved," Melanie agreed, nodding sagely.

Miltia laughed cruelly at some hidden joke.

"Yeah. _One_ brick, anyway."

/-/

There was a loud crack as the brick came down, followed by a muffled scream. A figure in a chair thrashed and bucked but couldn't move, held down by the bindings about his stomach, legs and arms that kept him locked in place. There was also a binding over his mouth, with a rag wrapped around a circular object stuck inside.

Neo raised an eyebrow and regarded the brick once more, hefting it in her hand as she looked down at her handiwork. Most of the fingers were broken, along with the hand. She cocked her head to the side and poked one of them, earning a muffled whimper. She nodded, smiling a pretty smile and hopping back, hands behind her back, looking for all the world the diminutive angel she absolutely wasn't.

The door beside her opened a second later, letting in two men, one in a white coat and the other in a waistcoat and red tie. The taller man sighed and shucked off his, tossing it to the other, who caught it with a grumble and hung it up.

"This room is padded, right?" Roman asked.

"Little late to ask that if your little demon has already started on him," Junior pointed out. "But yes, it is - surrounded on all sides by padded rooms, too. Nothing that goes on here is going to be heard anywhere, least of all with the music downstairs."

"Oh goodie. I do so hate to be interrupted when I'm working." Roman strolled over to the bound teenager, placing a hand on his shoulder but still keeping his eyes locked on Junior's. "I appreciate the offer of a room by the way. You're not normally so charitable."

"The twins would have my balls if I charged for this. They want an update after, though."

"Hm, I wondered if he was on your turf."

"He's under my protection," Junior huffed, arms crossed. "What happened before happened because one of my men decided it wasn't worth the effort of paying attention. He's been dealt with."

"Oh?"

"He was paid off," Junior spat. "One of my own boys taking bribes. I can't believe it."

"What happened to him?"

"Eh, who knows?"

"I've a feeling you do, Junior."

"And so will most of the city when his body floats back up to the surface. The newspapers love that shit."

Roman cocked his head in acknowledgement. It wasn't his place to question his old friend's motives, nor how he ran his gang. There was a reason Junior was so respected in the underworld, after all. Almost as much as he was.

"A bribe, huh. Well, well, well, I guess that cuts off the possibility this was a snatch and grab."

"Why do you think I gave you the room?" Junior chuckled.

"You're hoping I'll find something."

"Got it in one, Roman. I have my suspicions, but I can't act on those. It's bad for business. Besides, your little girl found another one – and on my doorstep, _again_. Fuck with me once and I'll be angry, but twice? Who even does that?"

"Other than me, you mean," Roman said.

Junior grumbled. "Yeah, other than you. Still, I'll be a laughing stock if they manage it a third time, so make sure you get something out of this." Junior eyed the man in the chair, knowing he was listening in. "You want me to have someone ready to deal with his body after?"

The man in the chair started to tremble. His eyes faced downwards and so missed the wink shared between Roman and Junior.

"Now, now," Roman said softly. "If all goes well there won't be a need for that. Dealing with bodies is expensive and I'm sure we can find an easier solution. Besides, it's not like our friend here will be doing this again if we let him go."

"Mmph, mrbll!" the prisoner probably agreed.

"I'll leave it to you, then," Junior said, stepping away. "Call me if you need me." The barman cum criminal lord patted a folder and put it down on a table beside Roman's coat, and then left. Roman made a show of sighing and cracking his muscles, before he wandered over to the table and opened it, finding that Junior had not only found the man's name, but also his details.

"Gregory Sands-Sanson," Roman read, ignoring the jerk of the man at his name. "Age; 22, unemployed, dropped out of school, used to be from a respected family but was cast out after your third stint in jail for theft, drug dealing and then armed assault and robbery. Looks like they paid some good lawyers to keep you out of the slammer, but lost patience when you wouldn't fix yourself up. That's a shame, kid. Real shame."

The rest of the details were equally uninspiring, depicting a man who had gone through life without much in the way of effort or ethics. The latter Roman could forgive, but the former? You could be the worst scum on Remnant, but there was nothing he despised more than someone half-arsing things. Had Junior half-arsed his rise to kingpin? Had _he_ half-arsed his own criminal empire? Had Jaune taken the easy route in opening his little diner? No, but this fuckwit seemed to think it was fine to mess with that – all three of them, really.

Most of the petty crimes he'd committed looked to be money related, the idiot taking whatever he needed for drink and drugs. Another waste in Roman's opinion. Though his cigars might have been considered a vice, at least he had a little class about it. He also didn't rough people up unless the situation got really out of hand.

It would have been easy to pass this off as more of the same; that Gregory had wanted some more cash and seen the innocent diner as a good target, but that didn't add up. Anyone who lived nearby would have known Jaune's wasn't open that day, and if he didn't live nearby, then what was he doing in the area in the first place? And besides, Junior's men missing this _twice_ in a matter of days?

His goons could be stupid, but they weren't unreliable. They knew better than to slack off, and even if they weren't the smartest in a pinch, they weren't idiot enough to not know how to keep watch over a given location.

"Alright, Gregory – you don't mind if I call you that, do you?" Roman paused for a mumble, which he chose to interpret in his favour. "Great! Now, let's get this little gag off so you can sing a little better for us, hm? It looks like Neo has already started without me." He looked back to his protégé with a fond, yet exasperated expression, one that might have been followed with an `oh, you` and a soft chuckle.

Unfortunately, Gregory chose to use the moment his mouth was freed to ruin that potential moment. "Argh, fuck you both!" he howled. "My hand, my fucking hand! Why!?"

"Why what, Gregory?"

"Why did that bitch break my fingers!?"

"Well, I'd guess it's because you didn't answer her questions."

"SHE DIDN'T ASK ME ANYTHING!"

"Whoah!" Roman faked a gasp and leaned back. "You can't just _say_ that. She didn't ask you anything because she can't. She's mute."

Roman pointed back to the girl, who had now taken to kicking one foot on the floor glumly, eyes on the back wall and watery tears in them. Her lip jutted out and her hands were linked behind her back, brick still held in it, but somehow still managing to look like she was on the verge of tears.

"Now look at what you've done," Roman sighed. "You've hurt her feelings."

"She slammed a brick on my hand!"

"Yes, but it's all about context. You see, Neo means a lot to me, so it upsets me when her feelings are hurt. Your hand and your health, on the other hand, mean less to me than what I leave in the toilet the night after a curry." Roman smiled charismatically and placed both hands on the chair arms, pushing his face close to a suddenly very frightened man's. "So, imagine how much it annoys me to have someone call her out on her disability. That's just rude." He smiled. "I think you should say sorry."

Gregory looked terrified, but be it bravado, pride or just plain old stupidity, he spat in Roman's face. "Fuck you."

Roman leaned back and brought up a finger to wipe it off. He inspected the spittle, considered it, and then nodded. "Interesting choice. Not the one I'd have made, but interesting. Neo, bring your little toy over here, would you?" Roman smiled patiently as the girl cocked her head in confusion and pointed to the prisoner. "No, not that toy," he laughed, ignoring Gregory's indignant snort. "The one in your hand."

The girl made an `oops` motion with one hand and skipped over, handing the brick to him.

"Is this the same one he tried to use?" Roman asked. "You went back for it?"

Neo smiled proudly and nodded.

"Ironic," Roman remarked, nodding. "I like it." He turned back to his `guest`. "Alright, Gregory, you've hurt Neo's feelings, so now I'm going to have to hurt yours. I'm not very good at the whole psychology thing, though, so I figure I'll just keep hitting you until your body hurts so much it transfers to the feels. That is, unless you decide to answer a few simple questions."

"I have two answers. Fuck, and you."

"Classy. Well, let's get started." Roman tossed the brick from hand to hand and smiled cruelly. "And remember, the safe word is cappuccino."

/-/

Pyrrha walked back from Jaune's alone, as she often did. Even if both she and Russel were at the same place and had to return to the same place, they never did so together and she made sure to leave an hour before his shift ended, just to prevent the possibility they'd be on the same Bullhead together. Even she couldn't help but sigh at how far they went to avoid one another, realising how ridiculous it sounded.

Since it was late and Walker Street was just about abandoned, she decided to head home that way and eschew the alley ways she normally ducked through to avoid being spotted by her adoring fans. As it was, she found herself stopping across the street from Jaune's latest competition, Café Prime, the very place that had led to his empty diner and sullen mood. It looked like any other coffee spot she'd seen before, but maybe that was what made it seem so lifeless compared to Jaune's – the fact that it was standardised and overly-familiar. Familiarity bred contempt, after all.

Or maybe it was just that they'd upset Jaune that caused her to glare at it. Luckily, it was closed so no one noticed, and the crowd that had congregated around it earlier had dispersed. There was a whole load of waste bags stacked by the bins outside to speak of the litter so many people had caused. At least they'd had the good will to clean that up.

Olly Firs, huh. She knew of him, not that she'd ever met him, but she'd heard one or two of his songs and liked them, and then heard others and not really been fussed either way. But his appearance in Vale and at Café Prime spoke of a sponsorship deal – something she was intimately familiar with thanks to her work with Pumpkin Pete and a few other popular brands in Mistral. They'd been stressful, especially with their ridiculous rules like how she couldn't ever eat a different breakfast cereal, at least in line of sight of anyone, or how she couldn't wear a certain brand of shoe because it went against her sponsors. Her agent handled most of it, but the hassle was still there, or it had been. She'd escaped all of that now.

And she liked not being famous.

Well, that was maybe an exaggeration. She'd been on the verge of tears a week ago, having no friends and no one in Beacon she could talk to, but the moment she'd met Jaune, everything changed. Now, she liked it, and wanted desperately to keep it.

 _Even if that means standing by while he suffers?_

She tore her eyes away from the closed diner. It wasn't like that, she told herself. Jaune didn't know and hadn't asked for her support, and it wasn't like this would be a regular thing anyway. Café Prime could hardly have a different celebrity every day of the week. It was just a one-off promotional push for their opening. It wasn't like she was holding back to spite Jaune, nor to hurt his business.

 _You're just holding back because it's easier for you,_ her treacherous mind taunted. _Because your happiness is more important than that of the person you call your best friend._

"It's not like that…"

And yet it was, in a way. Russel knew, of course. He knew exactly who she was, but for some unknown reason he'd chosen to keep that hidden from Jaune, granting her this one kindness even if he hated her guts. It had been worst today, since Jaune had openly mentioned celebrity endorsement and for the first time Russel's eyes had locked onto hers, his thoughts clear. When she'd deflected the question, he'd scoffed and looked away, disgusted in her.

For once, she couldn't criticise him. She felt rather disgusted in her cowardice, too. A better friend, perhaps a friend like Weiss Schnee apparently was, would have used their influence to help him. She had, enlisting her solicitors to handle his insurance and even offering him business advice.

A far cry from how Pyrrha had first seen the girl – as a power-hungry vulture seeking to add her fame to her family name and form a team solely to boost her influence. Pyrrha could admit it hadn't been the best of first impressions, but she'd been so certain of it and well, Weiss' words had hardly left much to the imagination. It was why she'd avoided the girl and her team and chosen to leave her partnership to fate instead, finding Russel.

And yet here Weiss was, helping Jaune out of the kindness of her heart, alongside her teammates, while Pyrrha held back and remained silent, reaping the benefits of their friendship but offering nothing in return. It was vexing, incredibly so. But did she dare break the status quo? Did she have to? It was just one poor day for Jaune, nothing too serious…

"I'll think about it," she whispered, though even as she did her eyes closed and she bit back on her disappointment, knowing she wouldn't, knowing that deep inside she'd already made up her mind and that the words were nothing more than lip service.

She couldn't do it.

She just couldn't.

/-/

Junior was waiting for him outside the room when Roman stepped out, patting himself down to remove all the dust kicked off from the brick. A bit of it had gotten in his throat and left it itchy, so he nodded his thanks when Junior offered him a drink. It wasn't one of Jaune's, but the peach-flavoured cocktail hit the spot well enough.

"Ah, thanks."

"So, you find anything?"

"Oh, I found a few things, certainly." Roman lit a cigar and took a puff. "He wouldn't talk at first. You know the type, fancies themselves `hard`, whatever that means."

"They all talk in the end."

"Sure do. Our friend here became fairly talkative but I get the feeling he doesn't know much. Just does what he's paid and without much thought for anything up here." He tapped his head. "Either way, I got a lead or two and I'll follow through."

"Prime?" Junior asked.

Roman raised an eyebrow. "You think they're behind it? They're a coffee chain."

"It's corporate," Junior protested, a little embarrassed to have been caught. "Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part. They cost me big today and I'd have liked an excuse to pay 'em back."

Roman chuckled. "Well, I didn't get their name but it's not to say it couldn't be. Our friend here was paid by someone in his gang."

"A gang?" Junior stood a little taller. "On my turf?"

"Not a proper one, just a bunch of idiots calling themselves one and causing trouble. If I want to find out who ordered the hit, I'll need to find out from the leader of it." And that would be a pain, all in itself. Not difficult, but time-consuming. Roman sighed around his cigar, pinching the bridge of his nose between finger and thumb.

"Cinder got you working hard?"

"When does she not? Still, I'll see this done, if only to get back the kid's sword."

"You know, I could lend you the twins if you want them. Wouldn't be hard to convince them to join in and it would save you some time. It doesn't sound like a particularly hard job."

Roman looked up, surprised by the offer. "How much are you charging?"

"Call it a favour."

"I don't do favours, Junior."

"I mean a favour from me," the barman replied, chuckling. "It's on the house."

"Generous. Again, surprisingly so." Roman cracked a smile. "You're really hoping it'll be those people who upset you, aren't you? You genuinely want to run a café into the ground."

Junior flushed but didn't bother to deny it. To be fair, the man's club had been empty when Roman arrived. Considering how much it cost to hire so many goons, provide drinks, music and also all the other costs involved, a single night without customers could cost a lot of money. Add into that the annoyance of someone paying off his men, moving onto his turf and hurting his source of Grade-caffeine?

Yeah, he'd be pissed too.

"Is the kid still alive in there?" Junior nodded behind him.

"Yeah, he's still alive, I-" Roman blinked. "Wait, where's Neo?"

The door behind them opened and Neo sauntered out, a satisfied smile on her face as she dusted her hands together and strolled up to stand next to him. She looked up at Roman and smiled the most indulgent smile he'd ever seen, looking for all the world like the cat that had not just eaten the canary, but framed the dog, faked the canary's will and now stood to inherit millions.

Roman sighed and looked back to Junior.

"I think I'd like to change my answer."

* * *

 **Oh Roman and Neo, you two~**

 **Well, this chapter was a little… different to what I've normally written for SWS. Darker for sure. Coffee, slice of life, service – TORTURE. I don't know, maybe it's that anime trope thing with "Smile, sweet, sister, sadistic" thing.**

" **Service – smile – surprise – sadistic – torture – murder (Neo smiling) – service – smile!"**

 **Oh, and Pyrrha is dealing with her own inner demons now, along with her complicated relationship with Russel and the students of Beacon. More on that (and Team RWBY) to come, but this chapter was focused more on Jaune, Café Prime, and the investigation into his missing sword. And Olly Firs - Olly Murs. If RT want to do celebrities by replacing names with trees (Spruce Willis), then who am I to disagree? lol.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 22** **nd** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	21. Chapter 21

**Today has been weird. I had to take a horse trophy to have my mother's stud's name written into it – which is typically in Welsh, i.e. incomprehensible and probably a world-record score in Scrabble – and I went to pick it up today to find out that the trophy we brought in, which the show gave us to sign our name on, etc, is NOT the one that was given back to me.**

 **In fact, the big-ass trophy I gave has now become a small one with a boot on it. It's a football trophy, and I'm like "Uh, I don't think this is right."**

 **They actually tried to argue it, too. Seriously.**

 **I have a horse stud as the winner of a football competition?**

 **So yeah, now the trophy is missing and that's not good because it doesn't** _ **belong**_ **to us, and has something like 20 years of history, even if we won it for the last three in a row, and they're not going to be pleased if it's missing, any more than I'm pleased that it is.**

 **Fun day chasing it down. No success so far.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 21**

* * *

Business returned to normal the day after Café Prime's opening. Jaune breathed a sigh of relief when it did, and when familiar faces came back – Yang's looking guilty as Ruby angrily reported her sister had actually gone to Café Prime to listen to Olly Firs.

"But he's famous," Yang protested, looking between an offended Ruby and a blank-faced Jaune. "It's not like I actually _bought_ anything there. I was just listening."

"Silence traitor! You have betrayed the sacred trust! How do you plead?"

"What is this, a trial?" Yang nudged Weiss. "Come on, Weiss-cream. Defend me."

Weiss sighed and looked up from her cappuccino, obviously bored. "She pleads guilty, your honour."

"What? I do not!"

"The court hears your plea," Ruby said. "What does the jury say?"

"Death," Blake said, not even looking up from her book.

"I didn't say anything – and since when does a jury decide sentencing, anyway!?" When it was obvious Ruby wasn't going to give in, Yang turned to him. "Come on, Jaune, back me up. It's okay if it was just to listen, right?"

Jaune hummed. "I don't know…"

"Jaune!"

"Alright, alright, I'll forgive you." Not like he could do anything else and he wasn't _that_ upset, anyway. "Like you say, it's not as if you actually did any custom with them." It didn't look like Ruby was going to be as forgiving, so Jaune distracted her by sliding a slice of cake in front of her. It worked like a charm. "Isn't it a little early for you girls to be out here? It's still lesson time Friday, isn't it?"

"Lessons were cut short because of the Vytal Festival coming up," Yang said. "Hey, you doing anything for that?"

"Me…? Are you asking me-?"

"The coffee shop," she amended. Jaune's mouth clicked shut even as Yang laughed awkwardly. "I mean are you doing anything business-related with it. There's going to be a lot of people coming to Vale, not to mention the festival itself. I'd have thought that would be a big thing for someone like you."

"To my absolute shock, Yang is right," Weiss said.

"Damn right- hey, what do you mean shock?"

"The festival is going to attract a lot more footfall to the city," Weiss said, ignoring Yang's indignant splutters. "Even beyond simply taking advantage of that for increased footfall, there are other opportunities to get involved in the festival itself. Something like this doesn't happen often."

"Isn't it every two years?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I mean it doesn't happen _here_ often."

"Oh." He rubbed his head. "Well, yeah, it's going to be good if there are more people in Vale, but I'm not sure I can really do anything more than what I'm already doing." He trailed off as he noticed Weiss' irritated expression. "Or is there something I should be doing?"

"You should be taking advantage of it. Every opportunity must be exploited."

"Spoken like a true Schnee," Blake said, turning a page in what he was fairly sure was some rather hardcore smut. He'd seen one of his sisters read it.

"Every _humane_ opportunity," Weiss growled. "I'm not suggesting he mistreats or works his employees to death, but rather he be prepared for more people and for what that might mean. For a start, the diner might not be large enough."

"I can't exactly afford to buy another place, Weiss."

"No, but you could apply to have seating outside, or rent a little room off next door or something similar."

That was a fair point. He wasn't sure how exactly to go about doing that, but there were plenty of other diners that had tables outside their premises, and so there had to be rules he could follow to do the same. The main problem would be splitting Velvet and Russel up to handle it, as they didn't want to offer poor service to those outside.

"Will it really be that busy?" he asked.

"Potentially. Amity Colosseum alone hosts tens of thousands and there will be all the competitors and more coming to Vale, along with their supporters, dignitaries, VIPs and the general public. Every hotel in Vale will be booked up. They might even be booked up now, well in advance. The Vytal Festival isn't just about diplomacy and peace," Weiss said. "It's a huge economic boon to the city it's held in. Before the rotation system was implemented, each city would practically _fight_ for the right to host the festival."

"Wow," Ruby whispered. "I didn't realise it was that important…"

"Ruby, I'm repeating the exact same information Doctor Oobleck gave us not two hours ago!"

"Heh. I, uh, think I might have fallen asleep in that lesson." Ruby winced as Weiss' teeth began to grate together. "Sorry?"

Weiss let out a long, aggravated sigh. "Never mind." She turned back to him. "You'll need to be on your toes, though, Jaune. Café Prime's decision to open up a new shop isn't _just_ to try and force you out of business. It's also to take advantage of the festival. They'll be pushing with everything they have to get as much of the money as possible. What happened the other day, with that singer, might just be the start."

"Great," he groaned. "What am I supposed to do? I don't know any famous singers."

Blake coughed meaningfully.

Jaune stared at her. "You can sing? YOU!?"

"What? No, I-" Blake sighed and put her book down. "Weiss is a famous singer."

Jaune gaped at Weiss. "You are?"

She raised an eyebrow. "What's with that immediate disbelief?"

"Nothing, nothing, I was just surprised. You, uh, never mentioned that you were a singer." It wasn't that he couldn't imagine a girl so snappy on a stage, nor could he imagine her singing any romantic or gentle lyrics.

Weiss' frown fell and she poked her spoon around her cappuccino, disturbing the cream. "It's not something I bring up all that often. I did sing, and in a few concerts, but being a huntress was always my main goal. The concerts were something my father liked me to do."

"Because he liked to hear you sing?"

"Not quite," Weiss snorted bitterly. "More like he enjoyed the singing of the lien that fell into his bank account. Regardless, I'm out of practice at this point."

"Ah." He winced. "I see."

Weiss held his gaze for a few seconds, before she sighed and leaned her chin on the back of her hand. "But I suppose I could give it a go…"

Jaune perked up. "Really?"

"Seriously?" Ruby spluttered. "When I asked you to sing you said over your dead body!"

"This is a little more important than you asking me to sing in our dorm, Ruby, or were you at risk of being run into bankruptcy if I didn't? I still have my fair share of fans, many of which were upset when I retired."

Jaune couldn't believe his luck, nor could he keep the smile off his face. The only thing that stopped him gushing was the fact he knew Weiss would hate it, and probably retract her offer just to make him stop.

"I'll contact you when I'm ready," Weiss said. "It should wait until more people come to Vale anyway, and I can have my agent spread the word closer to the time."

"I understand," he said, hiding his excitement. "Thanks, Weiss. This means a lot to me."

"Well, I _am_ your business advisor. Helping an independent diner like yours defeat Café Prime would be a rather large boost for my reputation."

"Can't you just admit you want to help because you like it here?" Yang teased.

"The traitor offers her opinion?" Weiss drawled. "How adorable. Why don't you go back to Café Prime, Yang? Your kind isn't welcome here."

"H-Hey, I told you I just went to listen to Olly Firs!"

Jaune took the chance to slip away while he could and serve a few other customers. They weren't bustling, but with Beacon cutting off a little earlier than normal, he had his fair share of students here – many of which were probably planning to go off clubbing or having a night on the town later. It was Friday afternoon, after all.

Among them were a few familiar faces, Ren and Nora included.

"Jaune!" Nora yelled happily on seeing him. She bounced up and down in her seat, which caused _other parts of her_ to bounce, too. Combined with the fact she'd remembered his name and looked happy to see him, and Jaune's cheeks flushed.

"H-Hi Nora."

"You remembered my name?" He winced. Was that too forward? "That's great!" she yelled, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him down to sit next to her. He wasn't sure if she'd realised they were flush on the chair, literally hip to hip, but he certainly did. "Renny and I were thinking of things to do and I remembered that we hadn't come by for a while," she said.

His heart fell a little. "Are you on a date?"

"No," Ren chuckled.

"We're together, but not together-together," Nora said.

So, he _wasn't_ interrupting a date? Jaune shot the man opposite him a longer look, trying to see if Ren was upset or annoyed at his presence. He didn't look to be. In fact, he looked completely at ease with Jaune being there, and being sat closer to Nora than he was.

Maybe they really weren't an item. They might just be friends in the same way he and Ruby were, just a lot closer. Then did that mean…? Well, she _had_ remembered him. Heat crept up Jaune's neck and he became painfully aware of just how soft and warm Nora felt sitting next to him.

It didn't help when she hooked an arm around his shoulders and started to tell him a story of how she'd fought and killed fifty Beowolves on her own. It sounded incredible and he listened intently, barely paying attention to Ren correcting some of the numbers.

He'd always liked friendly girls; his sisters said it was because he was too much of a wimp for any other kind, but he didn't think that was the case. Nora was always smiling and he couldn't quite keep his eyes off that, except when she made an over-exaggerated motion and his treacherous gaze dipped a little lower. Damn it. She had a love heart cut into her cloth right at the top of her cleavage. It felt like a trap designed specifically to ensnare him.

"Will you be competing in the tournament?" he eventually asked, tearing his eyes up to hers – just in time to see Nora watching him watching her breasts. His breath caught, but against all odds she didn't seem bothered in the slightest.

"You bet I will," she cheered. "We're going to kick butt, even I have to drag Cardin through the mud to do it." Her face twisted a little when she mentioned her team leader's name, but she recovered quickly and grabbed his hands. "Hey, you'll cheer for us, right?" She'd said `us`, but all he heard was `her`.

"O-Of course I will. I'll be rooting for you."

"Yeah!" She threw her arms around him in a quick hug. "Thanks, Jauney!"

A nickname, already? And she was hugging him? Jaune swallowed and placed his hands on the small of her back, wanting but not daring to do any more. The hug ended long before he was ready for it to and Nora went back to talking rapidly about her plans for the tournament and how awesome it was going to be. Jaune did his best to keep up with her.

Eventually, they had to go – Ren commenting that the dust store would close soon if they didn't. He still sounded okay with Jaune interfering in their not-date, which was a relief for him. As thanks – and maybe a little more – Jaune handed them a hastily-wrapped cake slice each before they went.

"It's on the house," he said, trying not to stammer.

Ren smiled and pocketed it. "Thank you."

Nora was much more enthusiastic in her thanks, practically lifting him off the floor and spinning him around. They left a second later with Nora waving back at him. Jaune echoed the sentiment, even if his eyes were glued a little lower.

"Smooth," Russel whispered into his ear from behind. "Very smooth."

Jaune jumped in shock, nearly banging into a customer's table before the teen behind caught him. "Russel," he gasped. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sneak? I've been stood behind you for a full minute." He looked in the direction Nora and Ren had departed. "You know, she's a friendly girl."

"I know," Jaune said, a little dreamily.

"No, I mean she's a _very friendly_ girl. As in, she's friendly to everyone."

Jaune wasn't quite sure what Russel was trying to say but ignored it entirely. It wasn't like there was anything wrong about him liking someone, nor in him thinking about maybe, somewhere down the line, asking her if she'd want to go out somewhere. If he managed to scrounge up some confidence, that was.

"Maybe you should look a little closer to home," Russel drawled.

"You!?"

"Not me, you-" Russel sighed and shook his head. "Velvet was right, you really are hopeless."

"Should you really be talking about your boss behind his back?"

"I'm talking right to you."

That felt fairly semantic and he rolled his eyes. It was probably a good thing the two felt comfortable enough to chat like this anyway, and it wasn't like he was going to give them any hassle. Still, he wasn't sure what they were talking about. The Malachites didn't like him – not seriously. Oh, they flirted, but they did it because they enjoyed the reaction it got out of him, and he allowed it because he enjoyed the attention.

Ruby and him? No way. Ruby was awesome and cute and a wonderful person, but even he could see she had zero interest in anything romance-related, and that wasn't just in regards to him. He doubted she had a crush on anyone, let alone a desire to explore it. She was just too focused on becoming a huntress.

Yang, Blake and Weiss were out of the question, too. Weiss was helping him and thus too important to bridge that gap with, while Yang was several miles out of his league and Blake and he just didn't click. There was no way Russel meant _Velvet_. For one, Velvet would _kill_ Russel if he just came out and said that to him, and secondly, she was his employee. That would be pretty unethical of him.

Russel seemed to realise Jaune's mental computations had reached a big, fat zero and sighed once more. "Absolutely hopeless. Well, it's none of my business. I heard you managed to convince the Schnee to sing for you."

"You were eavesdropping?"

Russel raised an eyebrow and pointed behind him, just in time to see – and hear – Ruby loudly protest that Weiss was being cruel for agreeing to sing for Jaune and not her. Practically everyone in the diner could hear her.

Jaune laughed. "Oh."

"Yeah. Well, having her sing wouldn't be a bad idea. There are actually quite a few well-known people at Beacon who could have helped." Russel's eyes strayed over the customers, but whoever it was he meant he apparently didn't find. "But at least _someone_ is willing to actually help."

"What do you mean?"

"Ugh." Russel sighed. "It's not really my place to say. It's fancy dress tomorrow. Do you need me to stay late and help you decorate?"

"Not tonight." Though it would have helped. "I've got something on."

/-/

Russel sighed as he reached his room and entered, noticing that only one person was present. He ignored her and turned, removing his jacket and hanging it up on the hook beside the door, alongside four or five other coats. It had been a long day, relatively speaking, and seeing as it was Saturday tomorrow, it was about to get even busier.

"Didn't see you today," he said to no one.

"Huh?" The sole girl in the room looked up and then down. "Ah. Uh, no…"

The clock on the wall ticked on, heedless of Russel as he kicked off his shoes and knocked them under his bed, collapsing down to massage his sore feet.

"Busy day. Going to be busier with Vytal coming up."

"I… I see…"

Russel tsked and stood once more. He moved over to his dresser and pulled out some fresh pyjamas, along with a warm towel and some bathing supplies. A good bath was nice after a day's work, but a shower would have to do.

"Not sure if we can compete with Prime, though. Trying, but they have resources. This job might not last forever, especially if they draw in another big-name celebrity to help out."

The girl in the room breathed softly. She didn't look up as Russel walked by.

"Of course, that'll mean the end of his business." He saw her wince. "Weiss Schnee offered to help there. She's going to do a performance to help out. Good of her," he remarked. "Better than I'd have thought to look at her, or what I'd expect from her reputation. She's not as much a bitch as she lets on." He huffed and piled his fresh clothes in one hand. "Guess it goes to show you don't know a person until you get to know 'em."

"Yeah… I guess so…"

"It's not like she's the only one who could have helped out, who still could help out. The Schnee is going out of her way to help someone just because she wants them to succeed, no questions asked. Velvet and I are, too." Russel, for once, turned to look at his partner.

Pyrrha didn't meet his eyes. She picked at the linen of her blanket, looking as dejected as she had the night before. She hadn't visited the diner today, and that marked the first time in what felt like ages.

Enough so that even he noticed.

"I guess that's what friends are for, huh? They have your back when you need 'em most."

"Yes. I suppose it is…"

The clock on the wall ticked for a full minute.

Russel turned away with a snort of disgust. "You're fucking useless. Don't know why I even bothered."

The bathroom door slammed shut behind him.

Back in the room, Pyrrha's head fell into her hands. No tears, no sniffles, just an overwhelming sense of disappointment, mixed with frustration and fear. Her fingers gripped her hair and wished she could pull it out. More than that, she wanted to run to Vale on foot and offer her help, her support, and her identity.

But she didn't. She continued to sit in her room and hide away, as she had for the past two days.

"I'm such a coward…"

/-/

The last time he'd tried to host Cinder and Roman, the attack had disturbed it. There was a certain thrill of panic that ran through him this time, too, more by association than anything, but it dwindled into nothingness when a familiar pair appeared at the store front. He wasn't sure why. Roman looked fairly effeminate, and Neo was so small – totally unable to defend herself if some nasty men came by to try and hurt him again, but for whatever reason, something told him that wouldn't be an issue with them around.

"Hey kiddo," Roman said, waving as he stepped in. "Is she here yet?"

"Cinder hasn't arrived, no." Jaune backed up as Neo came up in front of him with the speed of a missile. He almost thought she'd hit him, but she halted at the last possible second. Her eyes trailed up and down his body and he instantly knew why. "I'm okay, Neo. All better now – thanks to you guys, anyway."

Neo didn't believe him, of course. Much like his sisters and mom would have, she hopped around him, checking from all angles as if to see whether he was hiding a knife stabbed into his back from her or something. Only when she was fully content that he was telling the truth did she smile and bounce on her feet. She pointed behind him.

"Yes, you can help yourself to some ice-" He didn't get any further. She was already gone.

"She cares in her own way," Roman said, patting his shoulder. "This is about the nicest you can expect from her."

"I dread to imagine what she's like when she's angry," Jaune joked.

Roman laughed nervously. Very nervously. "So, you're doing better, yeah? That's good. Sorry we haven't been down lately, but we've been busy."

"Work?"

"Something like that."

"I didn't realise the removals industry was so busy."

"Ah well, there's a lot of trash that needs dealing with. It's been murder recently." Roman paused. "I mean the workload has been murder," he clarified.

"Well yeah, I didn't actually think you meant literal murder."

"Good. Perfect, in fact. Let's stick with that." Roman laughed again and sat down on one of the new and comfier seats. He pulled out a cigar but put it away when Jaune shot him a pointed look. "You wound me, kid. We're paying well to rent this place for the night."

" _I_ am paying well," a new voice teased. "You, Roman, are freeloading, as usual. I, for one, would prefer not having to suffer your second-hand smoke."

Cinder Fall let herself into the diner with her two companions behind, the silver-haired of which turned and locked the door behind him, while the girl went and lowered the blinds, obscuring them all from view. It felt like the precursor to a horror scene but Jaune didn't make a run for it. His over-active imagination wouldn't ruin this, and Cinder and Roman were just normal people having a business meeting.

"It's good to see you up, Jaune," Cinder said, stepping past Roman so that she was stood before Jaune. "How is your arm?"

"Better, thank you." He moved it a little, and though it was stiff, he actually had more freedom now than he had before. "I hear I've got you unlocking my aura to thank for that. Thank you, Cinder. I, uh, made sure not to tell anyone it was you."

One perfect brow rose. "Oh?"

"One of my employees warned me not to," he explained. "He said it was something about huntresses and huntsmen not really being allowed to unlock the aura of everyday people. I told the police it unlocked itself due to the stress."

"I appreciate that, Jaune. You should try a few exercises to control it in your own time. If you can flood your shoulder with aura, it will heal faster."

"How do I do that?"

Cinder opened her mouth to explain, but seemingly thought better of it after a quick glance at Roman. "Perhaps Emerald could teach you while Roman and I have our little meeting. We really have delayed this enough already."

Jaune caught the hint for what it was and agreed, quickly serving drinks, cake and a few sandwiches he'd prepared on the table between them. It was poor fare for a corporate meeting but neither seemed to mind and he got the feeling they appreciated the privacy more than anything else.

Once they were seated, Emerald came and took Jaune aside, sitting him down in a seat by the window. "Cinder asked me to teach you a little about aura and I will," she said. "Look into my eyes for a moment."

"Why?" Even as he asked the question he instinctively met her gaze, and for a second – barely noticeable, really, but still there – everything seemed to become… muted. It was over as soon as he realised it and suddenly everything was back to normal. Behind him, he could hear Roman talk loudly about a block of apartments he had to help move things out of. Cinder was apparently providing help in the form of transport and trucks to transport it with.

"Aura isn't that hard to understand," Emerald said, drawing his attention back to her. Roman and Cinder's conversation was too boring to grasp onto. "If it wasn't easy, no one would be able to control it in the heat of battle. You need to understand that aura is the energy of the soul but it's also a part of our bodies. You don't have to tell your heart to beat or your lungs to expand, and you don't need to tell your aura how to do its job, either. You just need to direct it."

"I understand. I think…"

"You will in time," she said. "Let's try some breathing exercises first. I want you to focus on relaxing."

Meditation was fairly difficult as it turned out, not least of all because Neo hopped into the seat next to him, apparently bored with Roman and Cinder. A bored Neo was not a peaceful one, however, and like an attention-starved puppy, she made it her mission to complicate his attempts to relax and forget the world around him.

He had a feeling if she'd been able to talk, she'd have told him it was better training this way – after all, she was just teaching him to relax under pressure.

"You can't grab hold of something inside your body and tell it to do what it doesn't want to." Emerald's voice was lilting and captivated his attention. His eyes were closed as per her instruction. It would apparently make it easier for him – less visual distractions. "What you can do, however, is _push_ it to the right area. I want you to imagine doing that now. Imagine your hand pushing something up from your core to your injured shoulder."

"Push?"

"Without moving." He tensed his muscles and she slapped his arm lightly. "I said without moving. I don't need you pushing so hard you soil yourself. Aura is the _soul_. Stop trying to push with your muscles and start doing it with your mind."

Jaune tried, and failed a few times while he was at it. The instructions weren't just vague, they were hard to understand. Emerald assured him there was no better way to explain it, however, and he kept at it. Eventually, after a good fifteen minutes of strain, _something_ moved.

His eyes shot open and he gasped. "Ah!"

"You have it? Don't let go."

"I already did," he admitted glumly. "It surprised me."

Emerald grumbled and told him to find it again and this time, thanks to him knowing what to look for, it only took a minute or two. It was hard to understand or explain and Emerald was right to say there were no better words than `push` that could be applied. It felt like a cool sensation in his body, and yet it wasn't cool _in_ his body at all, but rather in his mind. Conceptually, that was. Or maybe metaphysically.

It really was hard to explain. There was no visible change in his temperature and the cool, refreshing feeling was imagined more than felt. Even so, there was no mistaking that it felt real.

"Push it to your shoulder," Emerald whispered. "Keep it there."

He wanted to ask how but knew what the response would be by now. Instead, he closed his eyes and started to imagine his shoulder, thinking of it, the cast, the sling, even the skin beneath. He imagined the cool feeling being there, and when that didn't work he imagined it rushing through his body and traversing to his shoulder.

It didn't work out.

"This isn't working," Mercury scowled. He grabbed Jaune by the shoulder, earning a gasp of pain. "Look, I'm going to hit it _real hard_ , and if you don't stop me with your aura, it's going to hurt like a bitch."

"Mercury!" Emerald hissed.

"W-Wait," Jaune stammered.

"Three, two, one and go!" Mercury raced down the countdown and brought his other hand crashing down toward him. Jaune yelped and waited for the pain, knowing it would rocket from his shoulder as it was struck, potentially dislocating it _again_. He didn't want to feel that pain another time. He didn't want his shoulder to be hit.

Something within him stirred to life.

It was a heady feeling – like an avalanche rushing through his body, up his body, to congregate in his abused shoulder. Through muscle, bone, tendons and more the ice ran, and yet it _soothed_ instead of burned and the pain he'd felt a moment ago vanished entirely. His eyes snapped open and he could see a faint shimmer, a white hue, around and over his body.

"Aura," he whispered, shocked. It took him a second to realise Mercury's hand had neither hit him nor was it still coming. "Wait, was this all just a trick to-"

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow," Mercury cried, face flat on the table and his arm – the one that had been coming down – bent painfully behind his back. "I give, I give. Fuck, Neo, it was just a joke, I swear. Argh. You're going to dislocate _my_ shoulder if you keep pulling."

Neo didn't seem to upset at the possibility, oddly enough. She stood behind the much taller, stronger and heavier teen with one knee dug into his spine, right above his rear end. Her other was on the floor but she had a hand on his wrist twisting it, and the other gripping a silver blade to Mercury's face, right below his eyeball.

Jaune blinked. "Wait, is that one of my dessert spoons?"

Neo blinked, looked down at it, and then nodded happily. She made a scooping motion with it, and it being so close to Mercury's exposed eyeball, the action didn't do much to calm the guy down.

"Hey, call her off already," he yelped. "It was just a trick to help you unlock your aura. I wasn't actually going to go through with it!"

"Knowing you, you were," Emerald scoffed.

"Oi! Whose side are you on?"

Jaune moved quickly, snatching the spoon from Neo's hands and untangling her from Mercury. She seemed surprised enough that she let him do it, though the surprise might have had something to do with the fact he'd used _both_ hands to do so.

"Stupid brat," Mercury growled. "I'll get you back for that."

Jaune stepped between them before Mercury could follow through with that threat. He crossed his arms, only marginally aware of how he could even _use_ his second. "Isn't it a little petty for a huntsman like you to threaten someone as defenceless as her? I won't let you hurt her."

Mercury stared at him, wide-eyed.

"What?"

"You heard me."

He had, but his eyes trailed down. "Her?" he choked. "Defenceless…?"

Neo fluttered her eyelashes and clasped both hands before her. She was so small and diminutive that Jaune couldn't help but glare at Mercury some more.

For some reason, Emerald found it hilarious.

/-/

"Looks like the peanut gallery are having a good time," Roman commented.

"Let them have their fun. If it keeps them busy and out my hair, I'll pay him to become my babysitter."

Roman chuckled at the thought and the look on Neo's face if he actually said that and left her here. It might be worth it, even if he would get a horrible meeting with Mr Stabby for his trouble. Yet again he regretted showing off Melodic Cudgel and telling Neo how every good weapon needed a name. She was like one of those irritating girls who called a cat "Mr Cat" or something.

"What does he hear us saying?" he asked.

"Whatever Emerald imagines we should say," Cinder replied. "He won't have heard any of the things we just discussed."

"Your girl is a convenient one."

"As is yours."

"Neo comes with her own brand of sass."

"And Emerald argues with Mercury all night long," Cinder said. The two criminals gave each other a quick look and a commiserating sigh. It really was hard, sometimes. "Well, I suppose that wraps up business, Roman. How goes your other efforts?"

"Other-? Oh, you mean the kid's sword. It's going. Not had much luck tracking it down yet, but I guess that's a good thing. It means the idiot in charge hasn't tried to pawn it off, which means they're not in it for the lien."

"You hope to track it down and find the one responsible red-handed."

"Oh, he'll be red-handed once Neo gets hold of him," Roman quipped. "There'll be red everywhere. I've got some twins helping out. They're playing bait tonight in the area the idiots have been seen."

"Bait?"

"Two girls looking soft, alone and vulnerable."

"I was under the impression bait was best delivered with a trap," Cinder pointed out. "If they are the bait, why are _you_ here? What happens if someone takes it?"

Roman stared at Cinder as if he'd never seen anything quite so stupid before. A moment later he laughed. "Right, I forgot you've not met those two."

He pitied whatever fool tried.

/-/

"How much for a night?"

Miltia Malachite stared at the greasy, overweight and cheese-smelling man. She held his gaze as sweat beaded on his brow and ran down to his third chin. She continued to stare as he trembled, looked around for help and finally wilted in front of her.

She stared even longer, until the man whimpered and fled, likely gaining more exercise than he had in the past few weeks alone. She vaguely heard him crying "I'm sorry" over and over as he ran down the street and away.

"You know, I don't think anyone is going to bite if you keep acting like that," Melanie said. Her sister stepped out from a nearby alleyway, her white outfit dusted somewhat from the general grime in the area. "Can't you look, I don't know, a little more vulnerable?"

"I don't know. Can I?"

"Imagine someone is trying to molest you," Melanie suggested.

Miltia's claws came out and her eyes flashed. It was not a very vulnerable look. Someone who had been walking down the street suddenly did a one-eighty turn and went the other way.

"Okay, don't do that. Sheesh, sis."

"This is harder than it looks," Miltia whined, sheathing her weapons once more. They'd both been vulnerable once, but that was long before Junior had taken them in and provided for them. They were certified badasses now, one loss with an annoying big-breasted cow notwithstanding. Miltia sighed and pushed her sister out from the alley. "You try it if you think you're so smart."

Melanie huffed but wasn't one to back down from a challenge. She coughed into one fist, shook her body loose, and then adopted what a very generous person might have called a nervous stance. "Oh no, I'm out after curfew and daddy will be so upset. I hope no scary men try to take advantage of me."

In the distance, a dog started barking.

"Is that it?"

"What? It's better than your attempt."

"At least I _got_ a response."

Yeah, and he thought you were a hooker."

"No one would even pay lien for you."

"We have the same face, idiot!"

"Beauty goes beyond the skin," Miltia said, wafting some hair away from her face. "But I wouldn't expect a shallow woman like you to understand."

"Do you _want_ me to cut you?"

"Try it, bitch."

Both stepped back as their tempers flared, but Miltia bumped into someone – or several someones, as it turned out. She glared back, ready to bite the head off whomever had interrupted their argument, only to pause as she realised they were surrounded.

"Hey there," an unsavoury man said, his bald head covered in tattoos that went down the side of his face. To any normal person it might have looked intimidating, to Miltia it made him look like a child had doodled on his skull. "What's two nice girls like you doing walking round here late at night, huh?"

" _I win_ ," Melanie mouthed, not at all in distress.

Miltia glared back. This totally wasn't Melanie's shit acting that won the day. She refused to believe it.

"Oh, we were just waiting for some friends," Melanie simpered – and Miltia gagged at the tone. "Our big, strong friends said they'd take us to a party, but now they're not here." The men – six in all – shared some loud laughs, as if they'd found Melanie's words the height of humour.

It was hard to resist the urge to cut them down now, but even a cursory glance revealed that none of them had Jaune's sword or were armed. Well, she saw a knife or two and a club, but come on. They lived in Vale. You weren't armed unless your knife was also a tactical missile or some shit. Still, they'd need to see if these guys didn't have the sword at their place. Which meant playing along, much to Miltia's horror.

"Why don't you come and party with the Crimson Devils instead," another said, hooking an arm over Miltia's shoulder. It smelled of cigarette smoke and cheap booze – the kind of trash Junior would rather commit suicide than serve in his club. On his arm was a tattoo that might have been a demon-Grimm with red skin holding a knife in one hand and a gun in the other.

Crimson Devils, seriously? Roman had told them there was some kind of gang involved, but that was the kind of name some edgy teen in his room came up with, along with some lyrics to go with it and a lot of crying. It was an affront to all legitimate – well, sort of legitimate – criminals gangs in Vale. It was a stain on their honour especially, since these idiots had stepped onto _their_ turf and hurt someone under _their_ protection.

Worse, they'd dared to try and cut off the gang's coffee supply.

Not. Fucking. Happening.

Junior would go to _war_ before he gave up on his midday double-cream latte with sprinkles. He'd been without it for the one day Jaune was recovering and that alone had led to several of their goons hiding in the toilets to escape his rage.

Well, on the bright side that meant these were actual gangers and not just some idiots trying to pick up two girls capable of eviscerating them. That would make her feel a little better about what they were going to do.

"What do you say, babe? I promise I can show you a good time."

"Can you?" Miltia asked sarcastically. She ignored the warning look Melanie shot her. These guys weren't worth the effort. "And call me `babe` again and I'll give you a first-person view of your own colon."

"Ignore her," Melanie giggled. "She's shy."

"You fuc-" Miltia grumbled as Melanie's hand covered her mouth.

"Oh, this one's got a mouth on her," someone laughed hoarsely. A hand touched Miltia's backside through her skirt. That one died first, she decided. Or maybe last. It depended which was crueller. A shame Neo wasn't here, since that psycho would have known for sure. "I like girls like you. It's fun to see how long it takes to replace your cusses with moans and screams."

"Like you've made anyone do that," she spat out past her sister's fingers. "I can smell a virgin a mile off." The man flushed, proving her words true and earning the raucous laughter of his fellows. Miltia smiled cruelly. "But you know what, fine. It would be a shame to keep living as a virgin, so take us back to whatever you lot call home and I'll take care of that for you."

The man looked hopeful. "Yeah…?"

Miltia's eyes glinted viciously.

"Yeah..."

* * *

 **Oh dear, Jaune, don't fall for Nora. I do remember being in those shoes, though, reacting to any girl who showed you kindness as if it were a sign of them having deeper feelings. Ah, teen idiocy. On the other side of things, Weiss is going to sing, Jaune gets understanding and a little training on how to actually use his aura – which grants him back the use of his arm – and the Malachites are out scouting for corpses.** **Oh, and Jaune is convinced Neo needs his protection. Adorable.**

 **Meanwhile, can Russel get through to Pyrrha with some tough love?**

 **And yes, although some people still seem reluctant to believe it (and I know, shock, right?) Pyrrha _is_ playing a much larger part in this story than she has in many of my others. To those still upset at what they see as bashing, you might want to note that if I'm taking the time to highlight a character, it's probably because they're going to be major players!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 5** **th** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	22. Chapter 22

**Here we are, here we go. Okay, so some people got confused last week, but I did write on the AN of every other fic that I had to take a week off due to a work expo that had me in a hotel every night, when I wasn't working at the event or out drinking with clients. I would have put it in a note on this, too, but I didn't remember it until after the last chapter went out. The last time I posted a notice on a fic to let people know of a change, I got a report for it.**

 **So, I just sort of hoped everyone would see from all my other works. Sorry for worrying anyone and no, I didn't die.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 22**

* * *

"I'll have a latte – non-fat, please – and I'd like it with soy. I don't drink milk. I'll also have it with caramel sauce and cream."

"Cream?" Jaune asked, eyebrow raised, pen hovering over notepad. "Soy instead of milk, but you want cream?"

"I'm fairly sure that's what I said." The man looked a little indignant at being asked to repeat himself.

"Okay, coming right up." Customer service was king. Always deliver with a smile regardless of how asinine or downright contradictory the order was. It was another busy day in Jaune's and now that he had his arm back thanks to his aura, he was all the more able to enjoy it, which by that he meant the better to slave away.

Russel and Velvet were both working today, and although that now felt like overkill since he wasn't dead weight, he couldn't bring himself to terminate either of them. Besides, when the Vytal Festival hit he'd need all their hard work to keep on top of the customers. _Hopefully, anyway. It won't mean much if the construction cuts off one line of customers and Café Prime gets first shot at those coming the other way._

"Here you go, sir, one non-fate latte, soy, caramel and cream. Would you like sprinkles with that?"

"No, thank you. I'm on a diet."

Jaune's eyebrow twitched as the man departed with his definitely non-diet drink, not to mention the chocolate slice on a plate. Customer service, he reminded himself. It wasn't even the most demanding of orders he received in an average day. Ruby would often tease Weiss for hers, but Weiss was practically a saint compared to most people.

They weren't here at the moment, busy with their own things – and really, they couldn't _live_ in his coffee shop, even if Ozpin made a fair try on a Sunday, often bringing paperwork down to work on while he savoured ten or more different blends in a three to four hour period (usually ending when Miss Goodwitch tracked him down and dragged him back to Beacon). In fact, while there were one or two Beacon students, there weren't any he recognised. No Team RWBY, no Ren and Nora, and no Pyrrha, either, which was odd because she'd been a regular for so long and then just stopped coming.

 _Did I do something to offend her?_ Jaune bit his lip at the thought. He'd never been good with women despite living with eight. Still, he'd thought he and Pyrrha were getting on fairly well. They'd even gone to watch a movie together. Had he made it awkward? Had he made it feel like a date, and that was why she was avoiding him?

He could ask Russel, but he wasn't sure that would be fair on the guy, not since it would basically be using his position as employer to make Russel talk to someone he didn't get on with. Maybe he could ask Ruby to talk to Pyrrha the next time she came down, but other than that he was out of options.

The front door chimed once more and a familiar face entered, one that brought an unfamiliar frown to Jaune's face. Velvet and Russel saw him and looked to Jaune, wondering if they should intercept. He shook his head, motioned for Velvet to work behind the counter and stepped out, hanging up his apron.

"Mr Arc," the man greeted.

"Sterling."

"Can we speak?" the Director of Café Prime asked. "Privately…?"

That was how they ended upstairs in Jaune's apartment; the suited man sat a little awkwardly on Jaune's run-down couch, his expensive suit and gelled-back hair contrasting with the rather simple surroundings. He accepted a steaming mug Jaune put forward and took a sip, nodding without complaint. Jaune brought his forth and sat opposite his rival.

"This is good," Alexander said.

Jaune wasn't in quite the same mood for pleasantries. "Why are you here?"

"I see your arm is healed. I heard about what happened, about the break-in. A regrettable occurrence, though something one or two of our branches have faced. Luckily, no one lives in ours through the night, so property damage is all it is. Still, the last I heard, you were badly injured."

"I was. I'm not now. Why did you come here, Sterling?"

"I see that small talk isn't your thing, Arc. Very well. I'm here to make an offer, though before that I'll ask again if you won't reconsider selling your business. After what happened, I would understand if you felt less than comfortable-"

"I'm not looking to sell."

Sterling's eyes narrowed. "You have not heard the amount we are willing to offer."

"The amount doesn't matter. Jaune's means more to me than just lien."

Jaune's was pride and ego, and though those things felt petty, they were important to him, and why not? He'd worked his ass off to get this far and made friends along the route. Yes, it wasn't what he'd wanted. It wasn't Beacon. But what it was had become something just as miraculous. Accepting Sterling's offer now would feel like he'd run away with his tail tucked between his legs.

"I see." Sterling didn't look overly bothered by the decision and if he was upset, he hid it well.

"If that's all you came for-"

"It's not." Sterling reached under the coffee table and brought up a leather bag he'd brought with him, more of a folder-case, though fashionable and expensive. The latch opened with a click and he brought out several sheets of paper, laying them down on the table.

Jaune picked one up when Sterling nodded his permission, but the jargon was impenetrable. It looked like legal proceedings. "What's this?"

"It is a… proposal."

"Of…?"

"The Vytal Festival approaches, as I'm sure you know. There will be thousands of visitors to Vale, all of whom will be potential customers for the both of us. Neither of our establishments has the room and would ideally like to expand out, placing chairs and tables out at the front of our stores. Unfortunately, there is red-tape to go through for that."

"That's what this is?" Jaune lowered the papers. "Why would you help me get this? What's your angle?"

"My angle, Arc, is the avoidance of mutually assured destruction. Read article six."

Jaune did so, locating the spot on the second page. "No point of sale displays will be allowed outside of a given premises unless a license is acquired. No license will be issued unless the business involved has the express permission of all other business within six units, signed in writing and presented to Local Council as described in Section 2B." The papers came down. "We have to get the permission of everyone on Walker Street?"

"Everyone within a specific radius, yes. If they believe our tables impact negatively on their business, they can refuse us access," Sterling explained. "Most will not. Increased traffic increases their chances and we help with that, but you will notice that _we_ are within six units of one another."

"We need each other's permission."

And given that they were competitors, and effectively hated one another, that was unlikely to happen anytime soon. Café Prime had outlets all over Vale, so inconveniencing a single one to damage his business was a cost they could more than afford to shoulder. In fact, Weiss would call it a perfectly viable business decision.

"So," Jaune began, feeling a little nauseous. "Where does this leave us?"

"I am willing to _put aside_ our little differences, Mr Arc, if you are the same. I have here a legally binding document, an agreement if you will, that both you and I will right here and now give the other permission to expand onto the street for the duration of the festival." Sterling brought out another document, this one looking far more complicated, and marked with the symbol of one Vale's leading legal firms. Jaune tried to read it but struggled to comprehend anything on the first page, let alone the six or more further on.

"I think I'd like to take some legal advice before I sign this. Is that okay?"

"We need to plan and order tables soon. Since I have to order for all our outlets in the entire city, I'm sure you can understand that the manufacturer requires some advanced notice. I can give you a week to read through that, but no longer."

"A week will be enough. I should have an answer for you in a few days." Weiss might be able to understand it, though he felt bad for relying on her for so much. Even if she couldn't, she'd know a solicitor he could pay to go through it for him. Signing something without knowing what it was would lead him to ruin. He wasn't that stupid.

"I'm surprised you're willing to do this," Jaune said. A wise man would have stopped there and accepted the blessing for what it was.

"The Vytal Festival won't come to Vale for another eight years. I'm not going to sacrifice profit just to put an insignificant company like yours out of business. It would not even do that. I would inconvenience you, but that's all. It simply isn't worth it."

And Café Prime could benefit more from this than he could, anyway. Their store was much bigger, so they'd get more people outside than he would. Still, it was better than nothing and he just didn't need the grief of starting anything with Café Prime right now.

"Okay. I'll get this looked at. Should I deliver it straight to you, or…?"

"Post it to my solicitor. Their details are in the letterhead and they'll handle the discussions with the Local Council for the both of us." Sterling finished his drink and rose, clicking his briefcase shut. "It's been a pleasure, Arc, it truly has. If you'll excuse me." With a nod, he departed, descending the steps back down into the diner.

He had no idea what to make of the offer just presented.

/-/

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong," Russel said. Velvet wasn't having it and frowned after him, easily noticing the bags under his eyes and the frustration in his step. He hid it well, especially when he went to serve the customers, but there were moments when he thought no one was looking when he'd slump and let out a long sigh.

Velvet huffed and went to fulfil her own orders, catching back up with him a good two minutes later when they were side by side behind the counter, each using a different machine to prepare their orders.

"Is it the festival? Is your team doing training?"

"It's none of your business is what it is," Russel growled and switched to some milk. "And no, my team isn't doing jack shit. We're as dysfunctional as we've always been and our team leader doesn't want anything to do with it."

"With you?" she asked.

"Not so much me as my partner." He shifted to the second cup. "Besides, I'm busy here most days. If they'd set up some training times so I could practice, it'd be fine, but they don't. I train with some friends."

"Cardin…"

Russel shot her a look at the way she said the other boy's name, flat and filled with hidden emotion. It was no secret how he treat her in school, or any faunus, really. It was also no secret he didn't get on with his own team all that well, with Sky siding with him and Nora and Ren siding against him whenever his tendencies would flare up. Russel's team wasn't the only first-year team having trouble fitting together properly.

"Cardin… he's not that bad," Russel said.

"He's a racist," Velvet pointed out flatly.

"He is… but he's other things, too. There's more to him than _just_ being a racist."

"Oh, goodie. I can't wait to find out what those things are."

"Look, Cardin-" Russel bit off with a sigh. "Cardin isn't relevant to this. Point is; I'm fine. Nothing is wrong, and even if something was, it wouldn't be any of your business. I appreciate the concern, but it's not needed." He walked away with his tray.

"We're work colleagues," Velvet called. "Your business is mine if it affects work."

"And it doesn't. I leave my personal life at the door."

Ugh. Velvet settled her saucers a little heavily on her tray, rattling them. She hated that saying of his, especially since this obviously was, whatever he said to the contrary. A smile quickly blossomed on her face as she brought some drinks over to the two huntresses chatting in a corner, both of which thanked her with smiles of their own.

She liked her job, as crazy as that might have sounded a few weeks back. Back then, it had been a constant source of stress and pressure since she had to speak to people and she was garbage at that, and honestly, she wasn't sure if she'd gotten any better. Coco, Yats and Fox all said she had, but that was them. They _always_ said nice things about her. She didn't _feel_ any more confident, just more at ease with people.

But Russel, ugh. Talk about vexing. There was definitely something going on, and she was fairly sure it was to do with his team. There wasn't much else it could be, unless he had some secret girlfriend she didn't know about. And hey, he might, but he didn't seem like the kind of guy who would need to keep it secret.

 _Maybe I should have a chat with his partner myself,_ she thought. Russel wouldn't thank her for it, but she wouldn't be intruding into his business, and Pyrrha had been a regular customer here. Since Russel refused to be the one to serve her (or was at least reluctant to), Velvet had talked to her on occasion.

Pyrrha was… distant. She'd smile and say something nice, which made her leagues above Russel's _actual friends_ , but it felt more polite and meaningless than Velvet's own greetings early on, nothing more than her saying something because it was expected. Pyrrha never seemed to actually see or talk to her, and mostly spent all her time trying to talk to Jaune. Honestly, it was kind of weird. She got that Pyrrha liked him – it was hard not to – but for a girl who looked lonely, Pyrrha was awfully reluctant to actually _talk_ to people.

"And I thought my team was dysfunctional," Velvet said with a little giggle.

Stupid first years…

/-/

It was several hours later when Jaune's closed up for the night, though Jaune had let her and Russel leave an hour early, saying the work wasn't worth it and that he might as well carry his own weight now that he could again. Russel argued – he could be cute like that, even if he was still a royal pain in the butt – and Velvet offered to stay too, but Jaune wouldn't have it.

She and Russel had walked back and caught a Bullhead together, not really talking but also not feeling all that awkward around one another. Russel had pulled out some homework on the Bullhead and she had to answer some messages from Coco, anyway. It was weird, and she wouldn't call the two of them the best of friends, but they were comfortable around one another if nothing else. Constant chatter just didn't feel necessary when you spent hours together most days anyway.

They'd parted at the academy, though Velvet, for once, didn't head back to her dorm. "There's something I need to read up on," Velvet said, scroll before her.

"This late? Come on, bun-bun. I've not seen you for hours!"

"Coco, it's not even nine. And we had class together not five hours ago."

"That's late for studying, and five hours is a long time!"

"Not what you said before the exams last year. You were up until four in the morning." Velvet laughed as Coco spluttered on the screen, making excuses. The exam period was always like that, though Coco didn't do herself any favours lazing around up until the last minute. "I'll be back soon."

"You better be, girl. It's movie night."

"Did Yatsu pick it?"

"After the poetic, mystic shit he made us sit through last time?" Coco barked a laugh. "What do you think?"

"Alright, alright. I'll be there in a little bit. You need anything?"

"Grab some soda from a vending machine and we'll call it even. I want grape."

"Lemonade," she heard Yatsu and Fox call in the background.

Velvet ended the call with a promise to fetch some sugary goodness. Her team really could be children at times, though she loved that. After a hard day being bullied and taunted, coming back to that never failed to bring a smile to her face.

Not like there was much bullying now, though. You had to be around for bullies to find you and she often went straight to work after lessons, and thanks to all the extra money she earned, when she _did_ have free time, she could spent it out in Vale having fun with her team. Whoever said money couldn't buy you happiness obviously hadn't factored in the fact it gave you more opportunities to have fun with the people you loved. If the usual racist jocks were looking for her, they'd probably been pretty disappointed of late.

 _Now, if I were someone wanting to avoid my teammates until the last possible moment, where would I hide?_ Not the cafeteria – not this late, anyway. Some people liked to use that as an impromptu common room and Pyrrha Nikos would draw eyes. The training rings? Again, it was possible, but loads of people used them late in the evening to wear themselves out before bed. If someone wanted to truly be alone, to find absolute solitude, there was only one place to go.

Beacon's library was open at all hours – all hours – and come time for exams or coursework, it might even be full to bursting come midnight. Now, however, with everyone focusing on the physical aspects of the festival ahead, it was just about empty. Low light came from lights on the walls and what felt like miles above on the ceiling, giving it a warm-lit atmosphere, perfect for the one or two people studying, and the twenty or so avid book-readers, to which the library was some kind of utopia.

Back when she'd first come to Beacon, Velvet had also considered it as such – back when she'd seen Coco's enthusiasm as intimidating, Yatsuhashi as some silent, judgemental mountain and Fox as cunning and dangerous. That was before she'd come to realise who they truly were and how silly she'd been.

 _Wait, was I as bad as these two? No way. Surely not…_

A-Anyway, there were plenty of people around and she knew first-hand how good a spot it was for someone who wanted to avoid all attention and hide away until their teammates might be asleep. True to her suspicions, it wasn't hard to find Pyrrha, her red hair giving her away. She was tucked into an aisle with some seats at the back, a lamp to the side of her and a thick, leather-bound book in her hands.

Two weeks back, Velvet wouldn't have known how to approach someone randomly like that and might have given up. Now, she strode forward.

"Hello Pyrrha."

"Oh!" The book came down and pretty green eyes sought her out. They were nervous at first, but relaxed when they realised who it was. "It's you, Velvet."

"You remembered my name."

"You've served me enough times," Pyrrha said, smiling weakly.

She had, and that was a part of why she was here. Pyrrha had been more of a constant fixture in Jaune's than Jaune was sometimes. She had a feeling that if class were out for a weak, she'd have brought a sleeping bag and a tent. Reaching into her bag, Velvet brought out a small, cardboard box and held it out.

"Here, I thought you might like something."

Pyrrha watched her nervously but was too polite not to accept the gift, opening it gently. A fragrant scent wafted out immediately and Pyrrha's eyes drifted shut, recognising it.

"We had some cake left over and it was going to be thrown away. Jaune offered it to me and Russel, but there's only so much cake you can eat. I brought some back for my team, but even then there's a little going spare."

"Thank you." Food wasn't technically allowed in the library but it was late and no one was watching. Pyrrha nibbled on it, using the paper plate inside to hide it from view. "It's delicious. I've missed-" She cut off.

"You've not been around for a while," Velvet said.

"I… I haven't… I've been busy."

"Yeah?" Velvet sat down next to her, Pyrrha making room. She didn't believe it for a second, not since there was barely any homework around this time. "Jaune keeps looking for you, you know. He seems surprised when you're not there."

"I… I see…"

"He probably thinks he did something to upset you."

"What? No!" Pyrrha's mouth fell open, spilling some crumbs. She collected herself and swallowed in a hurry, shaking her head the entire time. "It's not that," she blurted out. "Not at all. Why would he even think that?"

"Because you used to come around all the time and now don't. What else is he supposed to think?"

"T-That I'm busy with school!"

"When Team RWBY and loads of other students comes down almost daily?"

"That's not. I…"

"He's only human," Velvet said, stretching her legs out before her. "Jaune isn't psychic, otherwise he'd know you like him. He's got to make his own decisions, and those will be based on what information he has to work with. If you avoid him all the time – and it's kind of obvious you are – then what else is he supposed to think?"

The irony was thick there, especially since Coco had once said the same to her. _"If you keep acting like everyone is going to dislike you, some people will give up. You're awesome, Vel. Let the world see that. Take a chance."_

"You work with him," Pyrrha said, grasping into a straw as if it were something recently discovered and not old news. "You can tell him. You can tell him it's not that I hate him."

"I could…"

Pyrrha's face fell. "You won't? Or is it that you want something from me in exchange?"

"Whoah, slow down. Where did that come from?" Why would she want something and what was Pyrrha even suggesting – heck, why was she giving her a suspicious look even now? "I can't tell him because I don't know _why_ you're avoiding him," she quickly explained. "What am I going to even say?"

"Ah…" Pyrrha relaxed, and then came the guilt, welling up behind those eyes as she averted her gaze. "I see. I'm sorry, I… I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

 _You shouldn't,_ Velvet wanted to say, but she had a feeling that would just make the conversation more awkward than it already was. And sheesh, it _was_ awkward. She'd thought she was prepared for this, but Russel was right. This was complicated. "What should I tell him, then?"

"Tell him…" Pyrrha bit her lip. "Tell him…"

Velvet waited.

For a good three minutes.

"Tell him that I… that it's not him…" Pyrrha slumped, either unable to find more or unwilling to. "Damn it. Russel was right."

Velvet's ears perked up. "Russel? I thought the two of you weren't even talking."

"We're not, but… well… he did say something to me the other night."

"That's great!" Velvet cheered. Progress! "What did he say?"

"He called me useless. Or `fucking useless`, I believe."

And there went her ears, drooping down to her ankles, or at least it felt like it. What had she expected? Well, something other than this, but she should have known better. If their relationship had been frosty before, it sounded like it was arctic now. No wonder Russel wasn't getting much sleep.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it."

"No, he did. And he's right."

"Okay, no, now I'm _really_ sure he wasn't," Velvet said, laughing nervously. "No one is useless. He was probably just angry. Russel isn't good at talking to people. Trust me, I should know."

"He's better than me," Pyrrha said.

"Yeah, well, you don't exactly try very hard!" Velvet blurted out desperately. She slapped both hands over her mouth a second later. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that, I just meant that Russel looks better because he talks to more people, so there's more room for him to look better-"

"It's fine." Pyrrha laughed bitterly and put the book down. "You're right, and he's not wrong, either. My trainer, one of my trainers, once said that it doesn't matter whether I attack or defend, just so long as I do something. The only time a fighter is useless is when they choose to do nothing at all." The girl looked to her. "You know who I am."

It wasn't a question. "You're Pyrrha Nikos, famous competition fighter." She hesitated a second. "And you're the girl on the front of that cereal."

Pyrrha snorted. "I am. I'm that to everyone who ever sees me. I can't walk down the street without someone asking me for an autograph. I can't eat at a fancy restaurant without someone coming over to ask me to sign a napkin, or people taking pictures of me. I can't even order a pizza without everyone making a fuss!" The last was followed with a frustrated slam of her fist on the bench, rocking it. Several people looked over but found other things to focus on when it was clear there wasn't a fight.

"Beacon was supposed to be different," Pyrrha gritted out, eyes clenched shut. "It was supposed to be a change. It was supposed to be better. It was… It was supposed to be _something_."

"And it wasn't," Velvet guessed.

"It wasn't. It was more of the same, except that people wanted fights instead of autographs. It's worse because I can't even pretend to be normal. Every spar just goes to show who I am and what I'm capable of. Even if hide away, a single lesson with Miss Goodwitch reveals everything."

"That…" Velvet swallowed. "Okay, I won't pretend I know what that feels like, but I don't get why that's stopping you coming to the diner."

"It's… It's because I'm a useless coward."

"Eh?"

"Café Prime used a celebrity to get an advantage on Jaune," Pyrrha explained. "I was there and I heard it, and I knew Jaune needed help. He needed someone to put themselves out and help him, like he's helped me. It was my chance to do something, and I didn't. I couldn't. I just sat there and stayed quiet, hoping someone else would do something."

Velvet winced. "Well, Weiss did in the end. She's offered to perform, so it's not like you have to do anything."

It was obvious from Pyrrha's expression that fact didn't offer her any comfort. Velvet could understand why. Even if Weiss wasn't a competitor for Jaune's affections and didn't seem to harbour any such feelings, it would still be a reminder to Pyrrha that _someone else_ had stood up in her place.

"I can't face him after that," Pyrrha said. "That's why I've been avoiding him. I just can't see him without feeling guilty."

And that was it, wasn't it? Pyrrha looked like she had nothing more to say and a silence opened up between the two of them, punctuated every now and then by a page turning several aisles away or a chair scraping against the wooden floor.

She had everything she needed to know. She could go back to Jaune and tell him, and everything would be fine. There was no reason to stay and she'd done her part. She could walk away and not feel bad.

But she didn't.

"That doesn't make any sense."

"What?" Pyrrha's head shot up and fixed her with a fierce glare. Velvet felt some sweat dribble down her brow. She wasn't good confronting people, but she couldn't back down now. She'd already gone and opened her big mouth.

"It doesn't make sense," she said again, sticking to her guns. "You're saying you like Jaune but you feel guilty about not stepping in to help him, but what does it matter? Weiss has and that's it. It's done. He doesn't _need_ two people to step in." Even if it would be better. "And I get that you feel guilty, but what does avoiding him do for that? You still feel guilty, but now you feel miserable, too. Perfect. Double the pain."

"I-"

"And that's just dumb!" Velvet cried, throwing her arms in the air. "Jaune doesn't even know what the big deal is, so it's not like you have to face him. I stepped on a dog's tail once and felt guilty, but it forgot about it by the next time we met. Life goes on. I didn't swear to avoid animals forever."

"This isn't the same," Pyrrha argued. "This is bigger than a stepped-on tail."

"Yeah, it is, but it's _your_ problem, not his. Jaune has no control over whether you come or go, and if you feel bad about it then say so and apologise to him. It's not like he'll hold a grudge." And even though she wouldn't say it, Velvet started to understand why Russel had called Pyrrha useless, even if it had been a ridiculously harsh thing to say.

Do or do not, but doing nothing was being useless. Pyrrha could either help Jaune or she could choose not to, but _choose something_ and stick with it. What was the point in sitting around choosing neither option and avoiding the person you liked? That was never going to result in anything other than misery.

"It's not that simple. Jaune doesn't know who I am."

"What?"

"He doesn't know that I'm famous."

"How can he not!? You're everywhere!"

"W-Well, he doesn't. I don't know how." Pyrrha became flustered and Velvet couldn't bother her. Sheesh, was Jaune sheltered or just inattentive? Hadn't he wanted to become a huntsman? Every huntsman or huntress their age knew Pyrrha Nikos. Some of her fights were shown as course material in prep schools.

"Either way," Pyrrha said, "I don't want to change what we have. Jaune doesn't seem me for what I am. He sees me for who I am."

"Uh, no, he doesn't." Velvet didn't enjoy Pyrrha's shocked look, but she forged on. "You're saying he can see beyond your reputation, but he isn't even _aware_ of your reputation. That's not acceptance; that's ignorance. He's going to find out sooner or later, and then what? This is… This is just like I was." She shook her head. "I tried to pretend I wasn't a faunus when I came to Beacon, and I doubt I'm the only one who did."

That Blake girl was an obvious example and Velvet wasn't sure who she thought she was fooling. Then again, given her last name and the very well-known ex-leader of the White Fang, she might have had something more to hide.

"But I was wrong, and so are you. It took Coco, my team leader, to drag me out and show me how stupid that line of thinking is. I wanted friends who could accept me for being a faunus, but all I was going to get was people I had to hide my true self around. Is that what you want?"

"No!" Pyrrha protested.

"Then you have to tell him, or you can't keep hiding it, anyway. Surely it's better to have someone who knows who you are and doesn't care."

"Yes, of course. That's what Jaune is!"

"No, it's not. He doesn't see past your reputation. He doesn't even know about your reputation. If you want someone to be able to see you for who you are, you need to at least _give them a chance_ to do so. I'm fairly sure Jaune won't even care, especially if you tell him the reason, but you're not doing him _or_ you any favours like this."

"And speaking of, you're pretty much doing the same with us, aren't you? I wondered why you said what you did earlier, but you thought _I_ wanted something because of your fame! How could you? I know who you are, but I don't care! I've never even acted like I do! I'm only here because I wanted and help R- Jaune. I've seen you around school, Pyrrha. You don't even _talk_ to anyone. You don't _try_. How can you expect to find someone who can see you past your reputation if you don't take any risks? That's like trying to catch a fish without throwing a line, or trying to lose weight without exercising, or finding a boyfriend by sitting around hoping the guy you like will realise your feelings and ask you out. Nothing good will happen if you don't do anything."

The deluge came to an abrupt end as Velvet ran out of words. And steam. She panted, a rare – often unused – temper coming to the surface. Oh Gods, that… that had felt rather nice. Getting stuff off her chest had been kind of liberating. .

Maybe she should do that more often – maybe even to Russel.

Oh wait, she'd just run her mouth off to the one first-year who probably could push her head up her own rear end. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, after all._

"I-I mean, that's how I see it, anyway," she stammered. Her confidence, bolstered by fury, had faltered and now left her red-faced. She'd just gone on a rant in the middle of the library. How humiliating! "M-Maybe I was a little too abrupt, but-"

Pyrrha laughed.

She actually laughed.

 _Oh, good. I've broken her. Now she's going to go on a killing spree starting with me and- huh_? Velvet stared at the hand Pyrrha had placed on her shoulder. It wasn't gripping her with crushing force and the girl was still laughing, though a little bitterly.

"You're right," she said.

Velvet blinked. "I am?"

"Yes. I… It's blunter than I would have appreciated, but I can't fault what you're saying. A battle can't be won if neither side goes on the offensive." Saying it like that, Velvet realised she probably _should_ have gone for a combat-oriented metaphor, given who she was talking to. "You're right that I'm not being fair to Jaune. Even if I do feel guilty, that's _my_ problem, not his."

"And," Pyrrha said, "I'm sorry for what I insinuated about you. That was callous of me… and paranoid. You've shown no inclination towards me, my fame or anything else. All you've ever done is do your job and be friendly, while I… I've been awful."

"Ah, well." It was strange, but even though Pyrrha was now agreeing with her, Velvet felt the need to argue. "I think I was too harsh, though. You weren't acting like that out of cruelty, and you must have had reason to. A lot of people probably did try to take advantage of your name."

"That doesn't excuse me accusing you of the same."

"Still, I should have phrased it nicer."

"I'm at fault here," Pyrrha insisted.

"But I was critical, and it's none of my business."

Pyrrha made to argue again but caught herself. "We're going in circles. How about we both just admit we made some mistakes and start afresh?"

"I'd like that." Velvet held out a hand. "Hi, I'm Velvet. I'm a faunus, hope that doesn't bother you."

"Hello Velvet. I'm Pyrrha Nikos. I may be famous." The redhead smiled. "But I don't like to talk about it much."

"That's fine." The two shared a quick look and laughed, the tense atmosphere dispelling at last. "Does this mean you'll come back to the diner? Jaune doesn't say it, but I've seen him looking around and watching the door. He really does miss you."

Pyrrha's smile could have outshone the sun, if her cheeks didn't beat her to it. "I'll come tomorrow, Velvet. I promise. I wonder… I wonder if this was what Russel was trying to tell me, that I should just _do_ something, whatever end I chose."

"Maybe." Not even Velvet could guess Russel's intent. The guy was prickly and soft in equal measure, and despite showing no overt signs of racism he'd still not disagreed when Cardin showed it. She really didn't know what to make of him. "Hey, speaking of, how did you and Russel fall out, anyway? What happened to start it all?"

Pyrrha grimaced, but after a moment's thought, told her.

" _Pyrrha Nikos? Hey, that's cool. We should spar sometime. My friends will never believe me when I say I'm partnered with THE Invincible Girl."_

Velvet winced. It wasn't the whole story and she knew it, but a part of her could see why Pyrrha had reacted so badly, even if she didn't think Russel had meant anything when he said it. Feelings were complicated. People were complicated, and right now, Pyrrha felt she had no friends and no chance of ever acquiring any.

It was with that in mind that Velvet took a leap.

"Hey. You want to come watch a movie?"

/-/

"Do you think I was too harsh?"

"A little bit. I think you've got to speak your mind sometimes, though. You know? People aren't psychic. They need a little push to see the truth."

"Yeah, true." Melanie smiled as she wiped some blood off her stiletto heels, doing so on the back of the man whose body she was sat cross-legged on. "That's good. I was worried you'd think I went a little over the top."

"No way. If anything, you didn't go far enough," Miltia said, sat atop her own pile of wounded wannabe-gangsters. "That guy that flipped your skirt up and grabbed your ass? I'd have killed him then and there."

Melanie shivered. "He even tried to slip his fingers down the waistband."

"He didn't! Where is he?"

While she was touched by her sister's protective anger, Melanie held a hand out to stop her red twin from dispatching some much deserved justice. "He's the one we left mostly intact, Mil. You can't mess him up any further."

"Why did you let him get away so light?"

"Because _someone_ has to be interrogated by Roman." Melanie smiled and her sister mirrored her, satisfied that the creep would get what he deserved. It was bad enough the clowns thought they could be picked up like street whores, but to drag them to some dilapidated squat filled with empty bottles of beer and used syringes? That crossed a line. Touching her had been digging his own grave, but it was when he'd tried to show off that he really dotted the I's and crossed the t's.

Because Melanie recognised that sword…

"Don't worry," she whispered, holding the sheathe against her body and brushing a hand down it, dispelling some grime that stuck to the metal. Jaune normally kept it well polished and proudly displayed on his wall, so to see it like this felt like a crime. She drew the blade and frowned at the grease on it. It could use a good clean before it went back to its master. "You'll be going home soon, sweetheart, I promise."

"Yeah, just as soon as we find out who ordered this in the first place. Isn't that right, cutie?" Miltia accompanied her question with a swift kick to the side of the largest, most tattooed gang member. "Oi, dickweed. I'm talking to you."

The man opened one eye and coughed past a split lip. "Y-You're messing with the wrong people, girl. W-We're the Crimson Devils. Who do you think you even are?"

Melanie and Miltia shared a deadpan look. The goon didn't even know who they were, which was pretty damn unforgiveable in the criminal underworld. Even if you thought you were hot shit, you knew who Junior was – and that he worked with Torchwick, not exactly an _unknown face_ in, like, any situation. That this guy didn't know any of that?

Miltia laughed.

"Yeah, I think we'll be fine."

* * *

 **Stuff and things, and plots for later. I'd just like to say this isn't me bashing on Pyrrha here, though knowing my luck everyone will think it is anyway. This Pyrrha is different from canon Pyrrha, which some people never seemed to grasp. Why? Because she didn't meet Jaune. This is the Pyrrha you all saw talking to Weiss, the Pyrrha who was guarded and evasive, who would half-heartedly pretend to be interested when she wasn't. This is a Pyrrha who doesn't get the lucky break of Jaune being there to break her out of her shell and prove to her that her dreams can come true.**

 **As such, she never learned to, and when Russel proved to be "just as bad" as she feared, she retreated. I know, like, 90% of people who read this seemed to get that, but some either couldn't or refused to.**

 **I always saw Pyrrha in the show as being a very desperate person. She's been disappointed so many times and you can** _ **see**_ **how it's the same with Weiss, and she's** _ **desperate**_ **for someone to prove her wrong – and lo and behold, Jaune. Take that away, however, and what would happen? If Pyrrha finally found a partner, a team, and they proved to like her fame, or to respond to her fame before they do her?**

 **Do you think she'd bounce back and be the same as canon? I don't.**

 **I think she'd close the walls around her pretty damn quickly. Sure, she'd still be** _ **nice**_ **, and she is here, but it would be nice because of politeness, not because she genuinely likes people. It would be a mask.**

 **But you know, the point I had Velvet raise is kind of true. Jaune shouldn't be the solution to Pyrrha's problems, at least not in the way the show tried to phrase it. Pyrrha wants someone who can accept her** _ **despite**_ **her burdens, not someone who can accept her while being ignorant of them. What she wants is what Weiss and Blake got, where Weiss discovered Blake was a faunus and was willing to look past it. Their friendship was stronger after that.**

 **Anyway, this isn't a rant about her character, just me pointing out how she differs from canon, and having Velvet be the one to help her out here.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 26** **th** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	23. Chapter 23

**Here we are.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 23**

* * *

"Pyrrha!"

"Hi Jaune." The redhead laughed a little awkwardly as she stood in the doorway to his diner. "It's been a while."

"Almost a week," he said, and then, because that sounded accusatory and because a week _really_ wasn't a long time, "Not that there's anything wrong with that. Were you busy? Did something happen in Beacon?"

Or was it because of him that she'd avoided the diner, he didn't say.

Pyrrha heard the unspoken question.

"I… I had some things I had to try and work out. It was never about you, Jaune, and I'm sorry if you thought you'd done something wrong." Pyrrha linked her hands before her and bowed her head. "Please forgive me."

"N-No, no, no, I didn't think that for a moment. I'm just glad to see you back." He hesitated. "You _are_ back, right? Or was this just a visit to say otherwise."

Pyrrha smiled. "Could I have a cappuccino?"

"To go…?"

"No." She pulled a seat back at a window table and sat down. "I think I'll be here for a while."

Pyrrha tried not to let her pleasure show as Jaune hurried away with a large smile of his own. The familiar surroundings, the seats, all of which she'd missed in her short time away. There were more than a few people looking her way, but for the first time she felt it wasn't because of her fame. Instead, they were smiling at her, amusement clear on their features.

It wasn't awe and fame, and Pyrrha didn't shy away. She blushed instead, aware of just how much of a scene they'd made and just how much everyone could see her feelings on full display. Her eyes sought out Velvet's behind the counter and the older girl winked.

Pyrrha wanted to die then and there.

But the mortification was still better than what she'd gone through before. She had to wonder why everyone cared more about the adorable display than they did her fame. Had they always looked at her like that, and she'd just never noticed? Just assumed it was for worse reasons? There was no telling. Velvet's words the night before had been an eye-opener on many different levels, as had the meeting with her team, who, while recognising her, had seemed more excited at the prospect Velvet had made a friend than Pyrrha's fame. Then again, that didn't stop Coco from teasing them and dubbing her Velvet's new girlfriend.

Russel wasn't working today, which was both a blessing and a curse. Harsh as his words might have been, they'd been the same as Velvet's in a sense, and if Velvet was right then so was he. That wasn't to say he couldn't have delivered the advice a little more politely.

 _But then again, the fact he tried at all is more important,_ she thought. Deep inside, in a way she was ashamed of, she knew that if the situations were reversed, she would not have made the effort to help him.

That was something she would have to fix. If she'd made a mistake with Jaune, then she had truly done something else with her partner. Maybe it was too late and maybe she was riding high on mindless optimism, but it was kind of like Velvet said, wasn't it? You couldn't get a yes if you didn't ask in the first place.

And Pyrrha had her own questions to ask – both to Russel and to Jaune, though thankfully they were different questions.

"Here you are," Jaune said, appearing once more at her side and sliding a saucer onto the table. A cake slice accompanied it, despite her not requesting one. Salted caramel. It was her favourite flavour, which he well knew, given how often she had it. That he'd cared enough to remember filled her stomach with butterflies.

Even if Velvet had knocked some sense into her, it didn't do much for her confidence. She knew she had to take a step out of her comfort zone, and she was willing to, but knowing and doing were two different things. Her eyes trailed over him for a safe topic. She found it in his hands.

"Your arm is fully healed now?"

"Yep. I'm back to full strength." He held up his arm and flexed his muscles, which considering she went to a school for huntsmen didn't do much for him. Even so, she giggled, if not impressed by his muscles then somehow delighted by his innocence.

Was this what it meant to be head over heels? Pyrrha was fairly sure she wouldn't have found the way he acted attractive in anyone else. It would have just been arrogant, or maybe funny in an endearing way. From him, it was somehow the best thing she'd ever seen.

Though not the best she'd imagined, since his buttoned-up white shirt hid a little too much, even if the flour that dotted it sometimes caused it to cling to his skin, hinting at the firm muscle beneath, the smooth skin that sometimes became damp with sweat after a hard day's work.

Her cheeks flushed.

"A-Ah, that's good." She laughed. "I'm glad to hear it. You know, if you ever want to learn how to use your aura a little more, I wouldn't mind helping you."

"Really? A girl I know gave me some advice a few days ago. I know how to push my aura to a certain part of my body to speed up healing and protect it." He concentrated and did so, or at least she assumed he did since there wasn't much she could do to tell.

A girl? There was no need to get jealous. It could have been Velvet… except that he wouldn't have called her `girl`, nor anyone from Team RWBY, who he seemed to have a close relationship with.

"I can teach you a lot more," Pyrrha said. Why, she didn't explain. Velvet was right and she had to tell him the truth, but not right now. She had the perfect moment in mind for that. "In fact, I can teach you how to defend yourself as well. It couldn't hurt if any more people come round to try and strong arm you."

"I don't know. I'm not sure I have what it takes to be a huntsman…"

"Not a huntsman. Someone who knows self-defence."

"I guess that's not so bad," he said, lighting up a little. "But is that really fair on you? I wouldn't be able to do it while I'm working, so it would have to be on my day off. Or late in the evening."

"I'm fine with late."

"But what about school?"

"I can take a Bullhead back."

"I don't know. It feels like I'd be taking advantage of you."

Pyrrha wisely remained silent on _that_ one. Her feet played with one another between the table. "It's not like I have lessons, Jaune, and it wouldn't be every night because you'd get tired. It would be a few nights a week and I don't mind staying a little later."

And hey, if it took too long then she could always stay over, right? Lessons didn't start until nine and she could leave for Beacon early. Maybe he'd offer her a drink late at night and they'd stay up talking and be too tired for her to leave. He'd gallantly offer his bed, and she, being the polite girl she was, but refuse. It wouldn't be fair to leave him to sleep on the couch.

But they were both adults, right? It wasn't like they couldn't sleep in the same bed and-

"Pyrrha? Pyrrha? Hello, Remnant to Pyrrha." Jaune was giving her an odd look, his head tilted to the side and a stray bit of blonde hair dangling down. She wanted to push it back, or maybe tangle it around her finger.

Wait, where was she again?

Oh Gods, she'd spaced off.

"S-Sorry. What were you saying?"

"I said if it's not too much trouble for you…"

"No trouble," she denied. "None at all."

"Then… I guess I accept." Jaune's smile split his face in two. "If there's any way I can pay you back, I will. How about free drinks and food here?"

"No, I don't need that." Not with her finances. Her Agent was still active and many of her sponsorship deals still brought in good income. "But there's maybe something you could do for me," she said. "A favour. If it's not too much." Her tongue tried to stick to the roof of her mouth, but with a meaningful look from Velvet – who was absolutely watching – Pyrrha continued. "There's this event coming up. In Beacon. It's… well, it's this formal event and I was wondering if-"

The door slammed open before she could continue. Two girls sauntered in.

"Oh, Jaune~" the twin in red crooned.

"We come bearing gifts~" the other giggled. She held an object wrapped in satin cloth, peeling away the edge so that a hilt was revealed.

Jaune gasped. "C-Crocea Mors!?"

He was gone in an instant, rushing over to check the sword for himself and gush over the two that had recovered it. While Pyrrha felt pleased for him, she couldn't help but glower at the two girls not occupying his attention.

It was war.

/-/

Miltia had to drive an elbow into his chest, just to stop him rubbing his cheek up against hers. "Back, you halfwit," she growled. "Let go. If you want to show your appreciation, do it properly down on one knee."

Jaune didn't listen. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," he cried, one arm around her, the other around Melanie, who took the overly dramatic show of emotion in stride, patting his back gently with one hand.

Damn it. He was making them look stupid in front of all these people!

It took another few seconds for Miltia to wriggle her way out of his grip, and a few more to straighten her skirt and glare anyone laughing at them into submission. When Jaune noticed her absence and tried to reach for her, she snatched the sword from Melanie's hands and held it between her and Jaune like a barrier.

"Here. Take it. Don't lose it this time!" She pushed it into his hands, if only to stop him trying to hug her again.

"B-But how…?" he blubbered, and the pure gratitude in his eyes made her look away. "Why?"

"W-We just did, okay?" she snapped. "Not like we'd let some dick get away with smashing up this place. You're on our turf; you're under our protection. There's no other reason, so don't go making one up."

"What Miltia means is that we care about you," Melanie explained.

"What the fuck? That isn't what I meant at all!"

"Thank you." Jaune wiped an arm over his eyes. Geez, he was really that affected by this? Well, it _was_ a family sword or something, so she could understand him being relieved. Just so long as he stopped looking at her like she was some kind of patron saint.

"Tch." Miltia tutted and looked away. "No problem."

"We were happy to help," Melanie said, stepping back from him.

"I owe you both so much," Jaune whispered.

It was a mistake.

"Yeah, you kinda do," Miltia said, not at all afraid to pick up on it, nor guilty enough to let him have an easy pass. She'd been felt up by some creepy-ass wannabe gangsters. No way that was going to be free, happy face or not. "You owe us big. And we intend to collect. Right, sis?"

"Naturally," Melanie said. She smiled at Jaune. "Sorry, baby. But we're not a charity."

"No, I know." He smiled still. "I'll do anything. Is it money? I'll give you all my earnings for the month for bringing this back."

"Nah, we're not after lien," Miltia said. She shared a look with Mel. They both nodded, eyes narrowing. "A while back you said you'd come out clubbing with us. That's the cost. This Friday, you're coming to the Club and you're not leaving until the next morning."

"Dancing, drinking, chatting and playing," Melanie agreed. "A night of fun. That's our price."

A few of the locals relaxed, no doubt having expected them to gouge him for cash or some other less than legal favour. Yeah, they were pretty well known to people in Vale, especially the huntsmen. No one seemed bothered by the idea of them forcing him to go out with them, however. A few of the older woman laughed and whispered to one another.

To Jaune, however, it wasn't that easy. "But Saturday is my busiest day."

"Then take a day off," Miltia growled. She strode forward and poked him in the chest with enough force to push him back a step. "Tell your minions to handle it, or hire a little help or _something_. You can't keep working every day like you're some kind of slave. If you don't take a little time off, you'll snap. Get out there and live a little for fuck's sake."

Melanie slid up beside him and took an arm. "What my sister means to say is that she's worried about you."

"That's not what I said!"

"And it would put our minds at ease if you'd at least have one night to relax. Your employees aren't new anymore. You used to handle Saturdays on your own, so I'm sure they can do it between the two of them."

"We can," Velvet piped up. Hearing the comment probably wasn't eavesdropping when the entire diner was watching like this was some kind of free theatre show. "I know Russel will be fine with it, and I have the whole day to work."

Melanie grinned and nudged an elbow into his side. "See?"

"I guess there's not much I can say."

"You can say yes."

"Then yes," he agreed, laughing. "But I'll warn you now I have no idea what to do."

"We'll handle it."

"And I don't have any nice outfits."

"We'll handle it," Melanie repeated. "Or rather I know someone who will. We'll come collect you at eight. Make sure you're ready."

"But the diner doesn't close until ten."

"He'll be ready," Velvet promised.

"H-Hey. You're _my_ employee."

"And what a good employee she is," Melanie said, shooting the faunus a quick wink. She tugged Jaune down and planted a kiss on his cheek, but Miltia was close enough to see the act as a distraction, and to catch what her sister whispered to him. "Keep your sword safe. There's more to it going missing than we first thought. Tell you more Friday; try not to freak out until then."

Jaune's face when he leaned back was complicated to say the least. It was serious and he nodded to her subtly, saying he'd received the message, but he was also bright red and trying not to react to the feeling of the chaste kiss. On that front, he was failing. Massively.

"Do you want to give him a kiss too, Mil?" Melanie teased.

"Tch. Not likely."

"Don't be shy. He has two cheeks. Or a pair of lips if you'd prefer."

Miltia scoffed again and hooked an arm around her sister's shoulders, or her neck, anyway. She tightened it just enough to send a warning and flashed a grin at Jaune. "We'll catch you tomorrow night. Try not to get mugged and ransacked within the next twenty-four hours, yeah?"

He laughed. "I'll try. Thanks again, you two. This means more than you can ever realise."

"Yeah well, talk is cheap. Show us how much it means to you tomorrow night."

/-/

Beaten to the punch. Again. Pyrrha scowled down at her caramel cake – half-eaten – and pursed her lips together. Twelve hours earlier, she might have left to sulk and generally complain about how unfair it was that they could act like that and she had to maintain her image as the perfect Pyrrha Nikos, always respectful, kind and never getting into trouble.

But that was yesterday. Today was a new day, and those two had tricked Jaune into going out with them.

 _Not like you planned any different,_ her mind commented. _Weren't you about to abuse his favour to make him take you to the dance?_

Yes. Yes, she had been. Still was, actually. She might have been useless before – fucking useless, as Russel had put it – but she wouldn't be now. If she wanted Jaune, she was going to have to do something about it, and inviting him to the dance would be a good first step. He wouldn't be able to misconstrue her intentions then.

Well, he might, but if all went well she'd prove her intent by dragging him in for a kiss before the night was done. She'd staple her intentions to the inside of his mouth if she had to. That had been Coco's advice last night.

" _It's not that hard to understand guys, you know. You don't magically know which guys like you, and they can't tell which guys like them. Someone has to make the first move, and if you like him that much, it might as well be you who does. Preferably before someone else builds up the nerve."_

It sounded so scandalous, so unlike how she was. It sounded… perfect.

Pyrrha brought out her scroll and dialled a number. When it answered, she spoke. "Hey Coco? I need some advice. I want to go clubbing but I have nothing to wear and no idea what to do. Want to go on a shopping trip?"

" _Girl, you had me from the first word. When you want to go?"_

"Tomorrow night."

" _Cutting it close, Pyr. We've got lessons tomorrow. I'd have to come down right now."_

"Can you?" she asked.

" _Maybe. What's your budget?"_

"More than you can spend," Pyrrha said, thinking of her mostly untouched account. Apart from necessary maintenance and dust, she hadn't ever really splurged. Competition fighting paid well, but nowhere near as well as her sponsorship deals did.

Coco laughed. _"I can spend a lot of lien on clothes."_

"I can imagine, but it's still more than you could spend." Pyrrha smiled at the stunned silence. "I'll also buy you those boots I saw you mooning over last night."

" _Don't even move,"_ Coco hissed. _"I'm going to be there in ten minutes, even if I have to launch a locker through Jaune's roof."_

The line went dead, though Pyrrha really hoped Coco hadn't meant the last bit literally. A day out shopping wasn't a bad trade for her help, nor were the boots. Besides, she intended to try and pluck the confident girl's mind for tips and hints.

Really, this was no different from one of her fights. The first part was information gathering, learning the opponent's style. Then, she had to figure out a strategy to take advantage of it. Armouring up would be Coco's domain, making sure she was prepared for her fight – and then, on Friday, she'd make her attack.

All is fair in love and war, after all.

Pyrrha didn't notice Velvet behind her as she laughed darkly to herself. Nor did she notice Velvet shake her head.

"I think I've created a monster…"

/-/

Ruby didn't know much about going out, clubbing or romance – mostly because she just didn't care. Maybe she would when she got bigger, but the most important thing to her right now was becoming a super-cool huntress and making friends. She didn't think that made her weird or a nerd, and neither did Jaune, which was part of why she loved him.

As a friend, she meant. If Yang heard her say that she'd go on and on about it being something more. Typical Yang.

Anyway, while she wasn't interested in stuff like that, she could still say if something looked nice or not, and since she and Jaune were best friends (not that she'd say that to Weiss), it made sense that he'd ask her for help picking what to wear. She felt proud to be trusted like that and promised she'd do her best, promised she would ensure he looked the best he could look.

And what better way to do that than to bring some expert opinion along.

So, why did Jaune look at her like she'd betrayed his trust or something?

"Ruby. Why?" Jaune whimpered, looking at the entirety of Team RWBY stood on the stairway leading up to his apartment.

"You said you wanted to look good. I thought the best way to do that would be to have more people offering their opinion." She gave him her best ` _I'm helping_ ` smile and clapped her hands together. Yang knows loads about fashion and Weiss is cool because combat skirts. Ruby held a hand out and earned a polite high-five immediately.

"Blake's a girl, so she might know something."

"I'm not sure I appreciate the lack of faith," Blake drawled. "I know more about fashion than you do, Ruby." She eyed Jaune and sighed. "Though I'm starting to doubt whether you asked him if he was fine trying on clothes and being judged by the four of us."

"Sure he did. He asked me to do it."

"You," Blake said. When Ruby didn't understand, she sighed.

Eh, what was the big problem? Ruby laughed and pushed Jaune back, stepping in after him and ignoring his bright red face. There was a plastic bottle of pop on the coffee table and a stack of disposable cups. She poured herself one and sat down, kicking her legs out. Jaune's apartment was small, but compared to a single dorm in Beacon, it might as well have been a mansion. She loved whenever she had a chance to come down and vegetate in front of his TV.

The others followed in after her once it was clear Jaune wasn't going to send them away. The sound of chatter and tinkling cups downstairs was a constant reminder that the day was still in full swing, but being regulars had its benefits. Russel and Velvet hadn't even batted an eye when the four of them went behind the counter and up the stairs. Barely anyone did.

"So, clubbing tonight." Yang said, slapping his shoulder. "Going anywhere good?"

Jaune recovered slowly. "I think it's just called the Club."

"Aw. I was hoping I could come along for the ride. Not sure I'd be all that welcome there yet."

 _Yeah, no kidding,_ Ruby thought. She, at least, remembered the name of the place Yang had trashed. It had been embarrassing enough to see it happen, let alone to imagine Yang going there tonight. She'd have to bolt the door to make sure her sister didn't sneak out.

"Let's get this show on the road!" Yang crowed. "C'mon, Jaune. Shake that-" Blake slapped a hand over Yang's mouth. Weiss, Ruby and Jaune all sent her grateful looks. "You guys are no fun," Yang whined a moment later, after Jaune had slipped into his room.

"It's not fun to tease him when he's already nervous," Blake rebuked.

"Sheesh, since when were you this protective of him?"

"Since he provided me room, lodge and helped me with the White Fang."

Yang blinked. "Yeah, that sounds fair. Fine, fine, I was just trying to break the ice. He's gonna be nervous enough going out for the first time. Might as well get all that out the way while he's here with friends."

"His friends are going to be looking after him tonight," Ruby said. "Or at least that's what he said."

"Yeah, sure, and I bet they have nothing but his best interests at heart." Yang rolled her eyes. "Ruby, they're going to throw him in at the deep end and watch him sink or swim. Hell, I'm not sure which they want. If he sinks, one of them gets to jump in and _rescue_ him." Yang nudged Blake with an elbow. "I bet your books have plenty to say about that, eh?"

Blake didn't rise to the bait, and Jaune came back out a moment later. He was dressed in dark, black trousers with a black belt and a white shirt, tucked in. His shoes were black. Ruby thought he looked quite smart and more than a little handsome for it. She was about to say so but Yang beat her to it.

"Too formal."

"It is?" Jaune lifted one foot and looked down at himself. "I thought it didn't look bad."

"Oh, it doesn't, but white in a club is a bad idea and you're going to be mistaken for the help dressed like that. It looks good, but just not for this."

"I agree," Weiss said, and she sounded surprised to find herself doing so with Yang. "While the outfit does work, it seems more fit for a gala or ball than a night out in the city. You want something more casual, though not too casual."

"The Club is pretty exclusive," Yang explained. "A pretty girl will get in dressed just about however she likes, but guys will be judged."

Ruby pursed her lips. "Isn't that a little unfair?"

"Sure is, but it's life. No trainers or running shoes allowed."

Jaune nodded and went back in, changing a moment later and coming back in something else. It was too much the opposite direction, or so Yang said. Ruby kind of agreed, even if she thought it looked nice. It was probably more what you'd wear if you were just going out with a friend around Vale or going to a movie.

The outfits came thick and fast. Or, well, they came mixed and fast. He didn't actually have that many here and had to make do switching certain things around to see what they liked. It was mostly Yang and Weiss offering critique, though Blake would occasionally chip in with a little advice. Ruby just smiled and nodded at each one, which pretty much meant she'd been right to drag her team along.

"Look, how about you let _me_ pick you something," Yang eventually said.

Jaune's face flushed. "You want to dress me!?"

"Ha ha, no. Don't get excited, boyo." Yang took his shoulders, turned him around and gave him a gentle push, so that he was now sat on the couch between Ruby and Blake. "You stay there while I look at what you have to offer. I'll pick and outfit and you can go try it on. Sound cool?"

"I guess. As long as you don't make me look like a clown."

"If you have clown shoes in here, I think poor fashion choice is the least of your concerns." Yang vanished inside and soon the sound of her talking to herself could be heard. Ruby laughed nervously and patted Jaune's arm.

"She's good at this, Jaune. She'll make sure you look decent."

"She'll do a better job than I can, anyway," he sighed.

"No need for melodrama, Arc," Weiss commented. "If I recall, you were ill-equipped at running a business until you gained some more experience. It's not weakness to be bad at something you have never done before. In fact, it's the height of foolishness to consider yourself such."

Jaune laughed and accepted that, even while Ruby shot her partner a lidded glare. Oh sure, it was fine for _Jaune_ not to feel like he had to be perfect at everything, but _she'd_ needed to prove she was a good leader straight away.

Yeah. Totally fair. Wow, Weiss. Wow…

"What are you staring at me like that for, Ruby?"

"I wonder," Ruby grumbled. "I wonder…"

"Ta-da!" Yang called, appearing once more. "Or it will be after you get changed." She dragged Jaune up by one arm and pushed him to the door. "Keep the shoes you're wearing, and the brown belt. Put the rest on."

"Did you find something good?" Ruby whispered when Jaune left.

"It'll do," Yang replied. "Even if it's not a huntsman, he's got the body for it, which already puts him above half of most guys. He could pull of most outfits if he was confident enough to make it work, but that'll come with time."

Ruby nodded. Her sister knew more about this kind of thing, and Uncle Qrow always did say it was important to move with confidence. That was in fighting, obviously, but she could imagine it working for other things, too. Miss Goodwitch always told you off like she expected you to listen to every word she said, and you totally did!

When Jaune returned, Ruby clapped happily. He was dressed in dark blue jeans that fit him well, a maroon shirt and a black blazer. It was an odd mix of smart and casual, but it worked, and the brown belt and brown shoes set it all off well.

"Not bad," Weiss said. "I approve."

"It works," Blake added.

"You're such a prude," Yang sighed, standing once more. She moved over and unbuttoned his shirt a little, only one or two more, but enough that he was no longer wearing the shirt with a buttoned collar. "Show a little bod, Jaune. You're going to a nightclub, not a business meeting."

"I know, and you're right. It's just… I'm not used to this."

"No one is until they try it," Yang pointed out, rather obviously. "Don't act like you need to do something there, man. You've been invited to hang out. There's no quota to fulfil. No `I must dance with three girls or my life ends` nonsense. Just have fun. If that's flirting with girls or guys, fine. If that's sitting back with friends, drinking and joking about farts, also fine." Yang grinned when Ruby and Jaune both laughed, the latter easing up somewhat.

"As much as it pains me to admit it, Yang has a point," Weiss said. "This isn't a formal dinner like what I've had to attend and you can leave at any moment you feel uncomfortable. Those two who invited you aren't wrong. You're overworked."

"Even I've seen it," Ruby said apologetically. "You've been out of it lately."

"I… I have?" He sounded genuinely surprised, like he hadn't realised how often he paused for deep breaths. Maybe he hadn't. Jaune was too hard working like that.

"You have," Blake said firmly, and since there was no doubt her, he nodded.

"I guess I've just been worried, what with my arm, then having Russel and Velvet, the robbery and the festival…"

"It's a lot to worry about," Weiss admitted, "but for the most part it's all over. Russel and Velvet are perfectly able to look after the place without you. Your belongings have been recovered and your preparations for the festival are complete. You've even paid your costs and rent for this month. As a Schnee, I appreciate hard work over many others, but you've _done_ everything you need to. Take a well-earned break."

Faced with such an attack, from four different directions, Jaune couldn't help but concede. And though Ruby wouldn't admit it that was part of the reason she'd brought her team along anyway.

Mission success!

/-/

The man at the front door to the Club saw him approaching, and much to the annoyance of the queue outside, which had to be a hundred strong, he gestured Jaune toward the front and opened the door to him.

"Hey, what gives!?" a guy at the front demanded. "We've been waiting here for half an hour."

"Can you make a triple-shot latte with sprinkles and swirls?" the doorman asked.

"Uh. No?"

"Then I suggest you shut the hell up, _sir_." He sneered the last and turned to Jaune, bowing. "Welcome to the Club, sir."

Jaune smiled, it not quite reaching his eyes when he saw just how many people were glaring at him from the queue. He ducked in, a little surprised to find the place essentially empty. Someone inside, dressed in the distinctive suit of Junior's gang, saw him and walked over.

"Hey, who are-? Oh, Jaune, it's you." The man's frown vanished and he stepped over to slap his shoulder. Jaune scoured his mind for a name to put to the face and came up blank. "How's it going, man? The boss didn't tell us you was coming down tonight!"

"The Malachites strong-armed me into it."

"Sounds like those two."

"Where is everyone, anyway? The place is deserted."

"Doors don't open til eight. It'll fill up quick enough." Someone called the man by name, and Jaune was relieved to catch it – Richard. Richard shouted back and slipped off Jaune. "I need to go, duty calls and all that. The twins are over by the main bar, you can't miss it. Or you can't miss them, anyway. Red and white stands out."

He wasn't wrong. Jaune caught sight of the twins the moment he stepped out of the foyer and into a large, round room with a giant dance floor to one side and rows of tables on the other. A long bar lit by neon lights lined the back wall, curving out of it. Junior stood behind it chatting to the girls, though when he saw Jaune he nodded and pointed the twins in his direction.

"Jaune!" they said, almost in unison, rushing over.

Melanie got there first. "I thought we said we'd pick you up, silly. You didn't have to come early."

"Ah, well. Dad always taught me not to leave a lady waiting."

"Smart man," Miltia snorted. She looked him up and down. "And not bad. You clean up well."

"Thanks. I think…" He shook his head, "You said you had something to tell me. About the theft."

"It's not so bad you came early, I guess," Melanie said. She looked around and eventually motioned for Jaune to follow her into a back room. Miltia came behind, closing the door gently behind them. At any other time he might have thought it a trick, and there were probably some who'd think twice about following two known gangsters into the private areas of their own club. Not him.

Then again, he wasn't sure if it was because he trusted them, or if he was just an idiot. _Time will tell, I suppose._

"We had a little help tracking down the goons who attacked you," Melanie explained. "We did some of the legwork, but we can't take all the credit."

"We could have," Miltia grumbled.

"Okay, we _could have_ taken all of the credit, but we're not going to – on account of an angry midget stabbing us when we're not looking."

"Neo's here?" he said without thinking. A shadow detached itself from the roof and slammed into him, a hand hitting the back of his head with enough force to drive him down to his knees. "Arghh!" he cried. "Why!?"

Neo was indeed stood before him, arms crossed and a fearsome pout on her face.

"Was this for calling you a midget?"

She stomped a foot and threw her arms wide.

"I think it's for literally hearing midget and instantly thinking of her," Melanie drawled. "Wow, I didn't think it was possible to be any worse with girls than you already are, but yet again you manage to impress me. Congratulations."

"That doesn't sound like a compliment…" Neo hit him again and he winced. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. To be fair, I didn't think you'd hear me."

Neo's raised eyebrow seemed to ask how he thought that was any better, but she eventually clicked her tongue and turned away, tossing her hands in the air. He had a feeling she'd be pissed for a while, but come on, even now when she threw her hand sup, they barely went higher than his forehead.

"Smooth," Miltia giggled behind him.

"Oh, shut up. What's Neo doing here, anyway? Is she going clubbing with us?"

"No, she's-" Whatever she was, Miltia didn't get a chance to finish, for the moment he'd finished, Neo spun and dashed back, eyes shining. She pushed Miltia aside and stood before him, or practically _against_ him, utterly uncaring for any notion of personal space. Her mismatched eyes stared up hopefully into his. She tilted her head cutely.

Somehow, he understood the question. "Yeah, we're going clubbing. The Malachites invited me."

Three claps in quick succession. Neo hopped on the spot, pointed to herself and tilted her head once more.

"I don't have a problem if you want to come along."

Correct answer, apparently. Neo hopped up and down excitedly and skipped ahead. As she did, Miltia growled something under her breath and followed, stepping on Jaune's foot and grinding it into the floor.

"Yow!" he yelped, falling sideways against the wall and cradling his bruised toes.

"Oops," Miltia said insincerely. "My bad." She stormed off ahead.

"Smooth," Melanie crooned, echoing her sister's earlier statement. She patted his arm. "Very smooth, Jaune. So smooth you're able to skid on a staircase and shove your foot into your own mouth. Impressive." She shook her head and laughed. "Come on, moron. Let's get this over with and we can go back and party."

"What's going on anyway? You said you knew who attacked my shop." That implied it wasn't an attack of opportunity, and he wasn't sure what he felt about that. It made him feel vulnerable, afraid that it might happen again, and that in turn made him angry.

Unbelievably angry.

"I'm just trying to live my life and make ends meet," he snapped, "Why would anyone want to do this to me?"

"Money," Melanie replied. "It makes monsters of men, or so the saying goes."

"What about justice?"

"Justice still exists. It's just that justice for the rich and justice for the poor are two different things. I wouldn't worry about it. We're the kind of people who make our own justice." She laughed at some unspoken jest. "Or what counts for it, anyway."

He wasn't sure he understood but remained quiet. Neo's presence spoke of Roman's, and that both did and didn't make sense. This was a nightclub and Roman could do whatever he wanted with his free time, but the idea that Neo had free reign around the back of it? That was kinda crazy. Miltia and Melanie didn't look like they were upset at her presence, either. Or they hadn't, anyway, Miltia was glaring daggers at Neo by the time he reached the top of the staircase.

Neo, for her part, either didn't notice or didn't care. She grinned at him and thumped one hand against a closed door, indicating that he should enter. Roman sat inside, behind a table, cigar in his mouth, looking for all the world like he owned the building and everyone in it.

"Ah, kiddo." He swung his legs down off the table and grinned. "Good to see you."

"What are you doing here, Roman? Is it _you_ who wanted to see me?"

"Guilty as charged. I hear you got your sword back. It was a bitch to recover."

"You helped?"

"Sure did."

"But… I thought you were in the removals industry."

"I am. A certain group of people had something that didn't belong to them. So I removed it."

Jaune laughed weakly. "I think your definition of removals and mine are different…"

"I don't think so. For most people, I do removals. Only thing is, I don't often give the stuff back that I remove. That makes you something of a special case." Roman puffed on his cigar and leaned back. "You might as well take a seat, Jaune. I didn't traipse across Vale to fetch your sword only to bring you here and do evil things. That would be a little counter-productive."

True. Jaune sat down, nervously wondering what he'd gotten into and when his life had gone so far out of control. It was probably when he'd applied to Beacon. "Melanie said you'd found who attacked the diner."

"I found those responsible, but they were paid by another."

Jaune swallowed. "Who?"

"I think you know, Jaune. You just don't want to think it." Roman laughed. "But you know, I never would have guessed coffee was such big business. Just goes to show you no matter how bad you think you are, the real monsters are those in business."

"Café Prime…"

"As I'm sure they'd say: Nothing personal. It's just business."

* * *

 **Gasp, what we all kind of knew but didn't want to believe. A coffee chain is really involved in such crazy activity. Madness, or sort of, anyway. It's pretty crazy to think of by today's standards, at least in the western world, but go back fifty years and shit like this could be fairly common. But, but, but, but, I can still imagine some "that's so fucking stupid of Cafe Prime" so all I'll say is that there IS more to this, and that all I'll ask is the benefit of the doubt for now. ;)**

 **Meanwhile, Pyrrha picks her battlefield and the war heats up. From how Pyrrha acted, you can probably intuit what Coco's advice was. "Treat dating like one of your fights."**

 **Invincible Girl in the house.**

 **Ruby really is bestest friend.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 10** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	24. Chapter 24

**Green tea still better than coffee.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 24**

* * *

If it wasn't for the chair Jaune slumped down into, he might have fallen over. Roman, the ever-friendly and jocular guy who visited late at night and offered glib advice, was actually a renowned criminal. He was a thief, a crime lord, and perhaps even more. How had he not noticed? Well, probably because Roman hadn't done any of that to him, but still, you'd have thought the guy's name would be in the news or something!

 _Not that I've paid much attention to the news, but I'm not that out of the loop._

 _Am I…?_

And Neo. His eyes sought her out, stood at the back wall looking oh so innocent. It was hard to imagine her as someone who would break the law. Sure, everyone seemed to get uneasy when she smiled, and she did have this little vicious twist to her lips and all, but she was so small!

Then again, Miltia and Melanie were hardly intimidating on first sight and he knew they were from the local organised crime family, of which the very club they were talking in was a main base. Come to think of it, he knew more people in crime than out.

Oh hell, was _Cinder_ a criminal, too? She couldn't be. She'd unlocked his aura, asked Emerald to help him and been so kind. She was nice!

"You okay there?" Roman asked. "You're looking a little lost."

"Just reconciling the fact you're actually a criminal. How have I never heard of you?"

"Honestly, kid, how have you not? I actually thought you just didn't care the first two or three visits. Figured you were professional enough to act like it didn't bother you." Roman leaned an elbow on the table and grinned at him. "Then I started to realise you just didn't know. Amazing, given that I must feature on the TV at least twice a day."

"I don't want much TV."

"And I have the odd wanted poster around town."

"I… don't get out much."

Miltia snorted. "That's putting it lightly."

"And," Roman continued, "Just about everyone in the city knows my name and face."

"I…" Jaune broke off, trying to think up an excuse. He couldn't say he didn't deal with people, because when it came to social interaction he was probably the most interacted-with person here. "I think I'm an idiot," he finally said.

"No argument there, kiddo. But you're a funny idiot so it's okay. And you're our favourite idiot," he added with both a nod to Neo and the Malachites. "Which means you get looked after when something goes wrong, like some goons smashing up your place and stealing your family sword."

"Right. Thank you for getting that back, Roman, and you two," he added for the twins. "And you, Neo," he also added when said girl crossed her arms and pouted.

She quickly grinned and waved.

"Eh, it's fine," Roman said. "Keep the coffee flowing and we'll call it even."

The logical thing to do would be to say no, especially when he now knew Roman was a dangerous criminal. He wasn't up on his laws and doubted serving him could be called aiding and abetting, but the average person wouldn't have welcomed him in by any means.

Jaune guessed that made him not the average person, since he couldn't bring himself to say no or bar Roman from the diner.

"Sure thing. You said something about Café Prime, though." He didn't want to think they could be responsible for this. It was just coffee for crying out loud! And yes, maybe Ozpin and Oobleck (loyal customers that they were) might have balked at the idea of anything being _just_ coffee, but still, it wasn't worth doing any of this over. "I can't believe they'd be behind it, Roman. It's just coffee."

"Wrong. It's not coffee. It's money."

"Liquid gold?" he quipped.

"No need for the sarcasm, kid. You're thinking about it in terms of what you sell, but that doesn't matter. This is about one thing and one thing only; the bottom line. You never see how giants swallow up smaller companies daily? You never hear of law suits that reach millions in lien aimed at little businesses for small infractions, or maybe even imagined ones? It's a dog eat dog world out there and you'd be surprised how lawless being in business is."

"You could sell coffee, cakes or scrolls. Whatever the case, there would be someone bigger than you who wants you gone."

"Enough to send people to _attack_ me?"

"Maybe. If they couldn't sort you out another way." Roman drew a cigar and lit it, and soon the room began to fill with the smell of pine resin. "The decision on how far to go is an individual one. Some won't and others will. It depends on personality. It's no less kind to swallow a company in legal bills until it has to shut down, though. It's only the method that changes. Either way, the big players want the smaller ones out."

"But I'm insignificant compared to them! Sure, I do well, but it can't be anything to how many customers they have across all their stores."

"True, but your costs are nothing compared to theirs, either. The bigger you get, the more you _need_ every single customer. Shareholders make it harder, too. They need to please the investors, which means even a small dent in profits can cost someone his job. Plus, there's the chance you'll expand later. It's too much risk for them, so someone wants you out."

It was nothing Weiss hadn't said but Jaune still wanted to deny it. Roman noticed and let out a long sigh.

"Kid, the fact you keep rebelling against this is probably a sign of how little _you'd_ consider doing something like that. Makes you a good person, I suppose, but it doesn't make you a good businessman. Even we have to keep an eye on the competition," he added, gesturing to himself, Neo and the Malachites. "This gang that attacked you; even if they hadn't, Junior would have dealt with them for daring to think they could open up on his turf in competition to him. It's the same deal. As far as Café Prime are concerned, you're on their turf and you're not playing ball."

"So, they break the law to hurt me…"

"Hey. It's only breaking the law if they get caught. Do you have any evidence?"

He didn't.

"Then that's it, I'm afraid. What we have wouldn't stand up in court either, so their hands are squeaky clean. Whining about it isn't going to change anything."

He was right. "What, then? What evidence did you find?"

"The Crimson Devils Gang," Roman began, but paused when Miltia and Melanie snickered. "They were basically a bunch of hopped up kids who dropped out of working life or school and thought they were all that. They're the ones who attacked you, and though they did steal the money from your register, they didn't even try and get upstairs to look for more. They were there to do pure damage."

Jaune nodded. He and the girls from Team RWBY had figured out that much. Hard not to when it had been imprinted into his body via the medium of fists.

"We did a little digging, and thanks to the twins managed to find them and have a friendly chat. They were pretty quick to tell us someone had paid them to do the work, though it seems none of them actually _met_ the one responsible. Tell me, kid. How many enemies do you think you have?"

"None," Jaune answered honestly. He waited for Roman to tell him otherwise but the thief grinned instead.

"Exactly. None. No offence, but you're not really important enough to have enemies, at least not like I would have."

Was he supposed to take offence at that? It seemed like a good thing.

"So, with no personal enemies after you, the list of suspects is pretty damn thin. Unless you think we arranged it so we could catch and hand them in on the off chance you'd give us cheaper coffee, that only leaves one group with anything to gain."

"Café Prime. But that doesn't feel like enough evidence to say it's definitely them…"

"It's not," Roman admitted, "Which is why I said it wouldn't stand up in court. But _someone_ paid these guys to smash up your place, and they paid 'em to the tune of _thirty-thousand_ lien." Roman nodded when Jaune's mouth fell open. "Yeah, thirty-thousand to smash up a coffee shop and beat up a single civilian. Kid, I've seen _hits_ with less of a reward. This isn't the kind of thing a regular guy can pay out. Or even would."

It had to be someone with a lot of money, or something – an organisation. It wasn't conclusive, but just like Roman, Jaune couldn't _think_ of anyone else who might have any reason to dislike him. The richest person he knew was Weiss, and if she really didn't want to sing she'd have just said so.

Ozpin was hooked on his coffee, Glynda was too nice to order a hit just to stop Ozpin running off when he should have been working, and against all odds the only _criminals_ in the area were actually his best customers.

It had to be them.

Jaune slumped.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"For now, nothing," Roman said. He held up a hand when Jaune made to argue. "I'm not saying to pretend it never happened, but to hold tight for now. If we hear anything, we'll act on it or let you know. Even if it's Café Prime, you need to remember that it could be anyone in the business. Might be your Sterling guy who comes round, but it might as easily be the CEO, someone on the Board of Directors or even a department in their company which deals specifically with competition. You act on this when it's got no proof and they'll drag you through the mud."

"In fact, they might even have done this in the _hopes_ you'll try to accuse them. They have the resources to spin this in their favour and see you discredited."

"But that's not fair," he protested.

"Life isn't fair, business is even less so. The SDC literally works faunus to death and no one gives a shit. Big companies outsource their expensive manufacturing to factories full of underpaid workers, then slap on huge margins for branding and make a profit, all so the one per cent can live like kings."

Roman sighed when Jaune sagged even further. "Look, I'm not telling you this to make you feel bad," Roman assured him. "In fact, I'm telling you now so that the girls can distract you afterwards and you'll get a chance to relax. Just keep your head up and your eyes and ears open. Keep going like usual, but pay attention. Now that you know what they're up to, you can watch out for it. And you've got your sword back."

"I have…" Jaune let out a long breath and pushed himself back up. Complaining about this wasn't going to do anything, and Roman and his lot had worked their butts off to help him. Jaune forced a smile to his face, and was surprised to find that it made him feel better. The smile stuck. "Thanks for doing all this for me – all of you. I probably sound like I don't appreciate it, but I do."

"If this is a group hug in the making I'll excuse myself now," Roman snorted, standing up and pushing the chair back under the desk. "I've got some work to do tonight, but you lot enjoy yourselves."

"You're not coming with us?" Jaune asked, surprised.

"I'm a little too recognisable to go clubbing," the thief pointed out. "Well, recognisable except to you, apparently." He laughed when Jaune's cheeks heated up. "Have a fun night, kiddo, and try not to think on everything we talked about here. In fact, let your hair down a little. Just don't do anything I wouldn't do."

 _You mean don't do anything you would do,_ Jaune thought, shaking his head. A renowned thief, his accomplice and the local mafia, all in the same room as him, a humble café owner, and yet somehow he wasn't afraid for his life or quaking in his boots. His mother would have had something to say about that, although if she could see how the twins appeared on either side of him and grabbed his arms, with Neo appearing behind and gripping his shoulders, Juniper Arc might have washed away any such complaints.

"Business is concluded," Melanie said with a coy smile. "And since Roman said we should distract you..."

Neo grinned.

"It's time to party!" Miltia howled.

/-/

Jaune's breath left him as he practically fell into the couch at the back wall, skin washed over with blue neon light from bulbs above. Laughing, Miltia squashed in beside him while Neo hopped across the table. Someone's foot touched his under it but he couldn't bring himself to care. He panted for breath, utterly spent.

Miltia laughed and slapped his arm, saying something he couldn't catch. The music was booming – and he did mean booming, the vibrations from the bass rumbling through the floor and his eardrums. Combined with over three hundred voices chatting, the loud music and the stamping feet, it was hard to hear anything.

"What?" Jaune shouted. Nor quite as loud as he could, but voice noticeably raised.

"I said you can dance!" Miltia repeated, leaning in so close her breath touched his ear. It was pretty much a necessity if he wanted to hear her. "I thought you'd be useless but you can actually dance!"

"You mean I can flail my arms around like a mad man," he replied, accepting the drink Melanie pushed over as she came back, somehow managing to pin four glasses between two hands. His drink was some red and blue cocktail that mixed to purple in the middle. It looked diabolical but actually tasted like cherry, bubble-gum and grapes with a fizzy kick. He sipped it happily.

"That _is_ dancing," Melanie laughed, having overheard. "Or dancing at a club, anyway. What did you expect?"

"I dunno. One person dancing in the middle of a ring of people?"

Miltia laughed. "Yeah, you start a dance-off and we're abandoning you _so_ fast."

She pointed back to the dance floor and he saw what she meant. While they'd been in it, all he could see were the three girls' faces as they danced with him, but from outside it just looked like an amorphous blob of people jumping up and down, some with their hands in the air, some behind them making odd swaying motions.

It wasn't dancing by a long shot, but everyone looked fairly happy and they at least stamped their feet to the music. As far as he could tell, just about anything went. The only thing he hadn't liked was how crowded it was, with people pushed up against his back, but even that he'd gotten used to when no one else seemed to care.

"I thought things would be worse," he said loudly.

"What did you expect?"

"I don't know. More drunk people, maybe fights…"

"Junior runs a tight ship," Miltia replied. "Most people don't start anything. Not unless they're irritating blondes with no brains and a chip on their shoulder."

Oh yeah, Yang.

"Mostly, this is just a normal nightclub," she went on. "Mel and I are both security and to look good. It draws guys in."

"And girls," Melanie said saucily, licking her lips at him.

Jaune blushed and hid his eyes in his drink. Judging by both the twin's cackles and even Neo's amused expression, he'd fooled precisely no one. He looked away to buy some time and avoid the embarrassment, and quickly noticed another table a few seats down, where four guys were glaring at him none too subtly. They were his age or a little older, probably eighteen to twenty, and they were fairly handsome and well-dressed. One saw him looking and sneered and whispered something to the guy next to him. The other laughed.

"Ignore them," Miltia said, hooking an arm over his shoulder. She drew his head close and planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek without warning. He shivered at the sensation and tried not to think too much on it, or how her lips felt.

But he did notice the four guys scowl and look back to their drinks, clearly annoyed.

"Jealous pricks," Miltia grumbled. "Ignore them. They're not worth the drinks they're buying."

"Jealous?" he asked. "Of what?"

"You, doofus. You're out with three gorgeous girls."

"W-What?" he stammered. "But I'm not dating any of you!"

"Doesn't matter to pea-brained idiots. You've got what they want, attention, even if it's not what they think it is. They're jealous of that."

Jaune shuffled nervously. "Will that cause trouble?"

"To us!?" Miltia sounded shocked at the very idea. "You _do_ remember who we are, right?"

Two members of the local mafia and Neo, accomplice of Roman Torchwick. Jaune palmed his face and laughed, suddenly realising why Miltia looked so amused at the idea. Yeah, even if Junior's men didn't throw those four out for trying it, any of these girls could tie them into knots and throw them out a window. Geez, he had to stop looking at things on face value.

"Forget I asked."

Neo patted his arm sympathetically, though not too much so if her smile was anything to go by.

"Fuck it, let's go VIP," Miltia suddenly decided. She hopped up and grabbed his arm, dragging him up beside her. Miltia had drank a lot more than him and her cheeks were flushed, but he figured they were both about as gone as the other, her having a lot more tolerance than he did. "Hard to focus when I can literally feel idiots burning a hole into the back of Jaune's head."

"And the front of your dress," Melanie quipped.

"That, too. Seriously, if they want to try their luck just fucking try it. Don't stare like you're trying to undress me with your eyes."

If Miltia said that as if she were talking to them, it was because she pointedly was. Her voice was raised so much that the neighbouring tables had turned to listen, and a few guys and girls laughed at the blatant callout.

The table of four guys looked embarrassed to have been noticed, even if they weren't very subtle. One, however, decided it was a challenge – or maybe even a flirtatious hint – and rose to his feet. Melanie beat him to it and put a hand on his chest, pushing him back down.

"Yeah, no, not interested. Sorry."

"What the-?" He never got a chance to finish as they passed him by, Jaune dragged by Miltia and Neo waving cockily at the stunned guys as she followed. Diplomatic it wasn't, but the girls looked to have shocked them too much for anyone to react. Well, apart from the others in hearing distance, who laughed at their misfortune.

The Club's VIP area was up on the second floor and comprised a sectioned off area guarded by two men and a velvet-link chain. It wasn't quiet; quite the opposite, since the area itself was actually a balcony looking out over the dance floor, but it was much more sparsely occupied and the tables and chairs were nicer. There was also a bar just for that area, worked by a single young man who waved to Miltia and Melanie, clearly recognising them. They waved back and Melanie shouted out another order.

The tables in the VIP area were round, with pod-like chairs that were more comfortable than they looked. Jaune tried not to notice how much he missed one of the girls sat next to him, but it was soon forgotten as they huddled around a table and the waiter came out, putting down a huge bottle of vodka in the centre, in an iced bucket, and then several large jars of different coloured mixer, along with four empty glasses.

"This is where we spend most of our nights," Melanie explained once she'd mixed them all some drinks. Much stronger than what he'd had before, but nice, and also filled with caffeine to keep him up. "It's fun on the floor, but sooner or later you get tired of guys approaching you all night."

"I don't think I'd be tired of girls doing that." Maybe it wasn't the best thing to say to a girl, but hey, his mind was a little fuzzy right now and his words didn't seem to need vetting anymore. Luckily, none of them took offence.

"Yeah, you think that, but try it all night, every night, and imagine the girls being sleazy as hell," Miltia said. "Oh, and half of them _stink_ of after-shave, and the other half are drunk out of their minds."

"And when we're working, we're not," Melanie grumbled. "Trust me, you being sober and a drunk coming onto you isn't as sexy as it sounds."

He'd have to take their word on that. He wasn't nearly handsome enough to have any girls putting in a concerted effort to catch his attention, drunk or not. Melanie seemed to read that from his expression and laughed.

"There were one or two girls looking your way down there," she said.

He nearly choked on his drink. "What!? There wasn't."

"And you'd be the expert?" Her raised eyebrow had him backing down. "It's not just guys who look at girls when they think the other isn't looking. Of course you didn't notice, they were checking you out but didn't want to be seen doing it."

"Why didn't they approach?"

"Nerves, timing, the fact you're literally sat with three other women…" Melanie made it sound all too obvious. "If you were alone they might have come and tried to chat with you, but it's kind of intimidating to walk up to a group like ours. Would you walk up to four girls to ask one out?"

He wouldn't. Not in a million years. He'd probably wait and see if he could talk to the girl alone, which now that he thought about it sounded almost predatory. Well, not like it was worth feeling guilty over since he knew even if it happened, he'd never have the guts to actually go through with it. "I get your point."

"Finding a girlfriend isn't hard if you put the effort in. Or a boyfriend if that's what you want. People hook up all the time here, but it's easier if you're on your own. People feel more comfortable to approach you, then, and you don't have the excuse of just sticking and talking to your group. Most people who complain about how hard it is to meet someone are the ones not putting any effort into it at all. Of course you're not going to if you sit at home all day."

"Enough about that," Miltia interrupted. "We're here to have fun, not hook Jaune up." Miltia prodded his chest but accidentally went a little high, hitting him below the throat. He didn't really feel it. "You spend pretty much all your time working anyway. If you got a girlfriend, you'd have to make more free time for her."

All three of the girls nodded in unison, driving home the point.

"Since when was this supposed to be a night of dating advice?"

Melanie blinked, almost as confused as he for a moment. "Huh, good point. I guess that's what happens when a guy goes out with a bunch of girls and isn't dating any of them. We try and set you up." She laughed it off, waving a hand. "Let's talk about something else instead."

"Don't you _dare_ talk about work," Miltia quickly interjected, glowering at him.

Hey, he wasn't that bad. He knew enough not to bring work into a nice, normal conversation. Except that without it, his brain ran dry on what to say. He didn't really _do_ anything other than work. Okay, that sounded bad but it wasn't like he was someone without a life. It was just that this was still early times for the diner and he wanted to throw all his effort in with that.

Miltia and Melanie seemed to realise his problem.

"We could play a game," Melanie suggested.

"A drinking game?" Miltia asked.

"What else would we play here? Might be good for Neo, too. Not really fair to talk if she can't."

Neo, who had remained silent for the longest time, perked up, nodding happily.

"You up for a game, Jaune?"

"As long as it's not truth or dare."

"Not fair for Neo again, since she can't even _pick_ truth," Melanie said. "And dares are likely to get us in trouble with Junior. Only so long until someone dares someone to jump off the balcony into the crowd."

"We've all got aura," Jaune pointed out. "We'd be fine."

Miltia laughed. "Yeah, but what about all the people we land on?"

"Oh, right." He coughed, embarrassed. Maybe he was a little tipsier than he realised. Drinking wasn't nearly as hard as he thought it would be, but then he'd only ever tried beer before with friends in Ansel, or wine whenever his mom and dad let him try some. Both tasted way too strong, and beer was just plain nasty.

The twins, on the other hand, knew how to make the best cocktails, and those tasted _amazing_. It had all started to blur on his taste buds now, to the point where he couldn't even taste the tang of alcohol and instead it was all like delicious fruity soda.

"We should play `I never`," Miltia suggested. "Neo can write her question down on a coaster, and it's not like she needs to speak to answer."

"Mind if I join in?" a familiar voice asked.

"Huh?" The VIP area had been empty before and it was pretty expensive to get in if you weren't literally Miltia or Melanie. But a quick glance back revealed a pretty girl with black leggings, a cream skirt and a stylish, low-cut brown top showing off the curve of her breasts. Jaune's eyes went a little higher and quickly widened.

"P-Pyrrha!?"

"Hi Jaune," she said, smiling. She noticed his gaze and held her arms out, doing a small twirl. "What do you think?"

Not much, really, on account of his brain running on empty, but the outfit looked new and damn, but it fit her better than anything she'd worn before. Pyrrha also had her hair loose for the first time he'd ever seen it, and he was surprised at how good it looked, especially with some loose strands coming down across her front.

It was a cough from Melanie that hinted he'd been looking too long, enough so as to be noticed by Pyrrha since her face was becoming increasingly redder and redder. Oh, goodie. She'd caught him staring. Damn booze.

"You look amazing," he said. "And yeah, join us!"

"Yeah, join us," Miltia echoed, voice a little less enthused. She grumbled something Jaune didn't catch as Pyrrha brought up a seat from a nearby table and sat down between him and Melanie.

"Hey, I'm sure we've met before but I'll go through the basics," Melanie said, grinning at the new entrant. "I'm Melanie, that's my sister Miltia and this is Neo. Neo can't talk, so don't take anything she doesn't say seriously."

Pyrrha looked confused at the last bit but retuned Neo's little wave. She didn't recognise her apparently, which was probably a good thing. Maybe Neo's reputation wasn't as well-known as Roman's.

"We were just about to play I Never," Melanie went on. "You know the rules?"

"I-I'm afraid not," Pyrrha stammered.

Jaune perked up a little. Hey, another person out of their depth. Yay!

"It's pretty easy. We take it in turns going round and you have to say something you've never done, like "I have never sailed a boat" or something."

"Something less lame," Miltia drawled.

"Something less lame," Melanie agreed. "Point is, if anyone _has_ done it, then they have to drink. If no one drinks, _you_ have to drink, and you lose the round."

"How does the scoring work?" Pyrrha asked.

"It doesn't. It's a drinking game."

"Then when does it end? How does someone win?"

"They don't, and it ends when we're all smashed," Melanie said. "I'll repeat, it's a drinking game. It's about having fun, learning embarrassing secrets and seeing who can't handle their booze." The smile on her face said she was fairly sure that would be the two of them and not her,

She was probably right.

Pyrrha nodded, however, and at least she had reason to be since if her face was anything to go by she hadn't actually had much to drink yet. Jaune was doing less well, not quite feeling sick – but definitely feeling more cheerful than he had any right to.

Unfortunately, it also came with a rush of completely unfounded confidence, so when Melanie asked if he was read, he accepted without a second thought.

What was the worst that could happen?

/-/

The first few rounds went by fairly easily, mostly because Pyrrha and he didn't quite grasp the name of the game and put forward such statements as; "I have never worked in a nightclub" or "I have never served coffee in a diner", which led to grumbles from the twins and accusations of being lame.

It was Neo who broke the stalemate, writing something down on a coaster and holding it up. Everyone leaned forward to see and Jaune and Miltia instantly cracked their heads together and recoiled back.

"I'll read it," Melanie said, accepting the coaster as Neo laughed at their misfortune. "Preferably before you two knock one another out. Ahem." She cleared her throat and read what Neo had put down. "Ooh. Neo has never been caught masturbating. Nice one." Melanie gave Neo a high-five and turned to the rest of them.

Jaune's cheeks burned as he took a drink, while Miltia grumbled something unkind and did the same.

"Stories!" Melanie demanded.

"You know how mine went," Miltia snarled. "You're the one who walked in."

"I have seven sisters," Jaune answered with some embarrassment. "It was inevitable something would go wrong."

"Oh my," Pyrrha giggled, a hand over her mouth. Her cheeks were red, too, though it probably was more due to the subject matter than any inebriation. "I hope it wasn't a younger sister."

"No, it was one of my older sisters, Jade. Problem was, she freaked out so loud literally _everyone_ realised what was going on. No one dared mention it at breakfast but no one would meet my eyes. It was the most awkward moment of my life."

He could laugh about it now of course, and did so when everyone at the table burst into giggles. Miltia leaned over to echo her sister and give Neo a high-five. First blood had been drawn, or so it felt.

Revenge would be swift, and probably very, very impotent.

"Alright, my turn," Melanie chuckled. "Guess I'll have to try and top that. Hm… I have never been so drunk I threw up on the shoes of my employer."

"You're just fucking picking on me now!" Miltia groused, drinking. No one else did.

"Pyrrha's turn," Melanie said.

"Oh, um." Pyrrha sipped her drink, using it to buy time. Melanie had introduced that rule when both he and Pyrrha took too long, stating that it was called `Drink while you Think` and was a way to stop the game going on forever. It was also a terrible hole to fall into, because once you started drinking more, your brain worked slower, which meant it became a spiral of intoxication.

Pyrrha looked determined to redeem herself after what had been a rather tame first round from her and Jaune. She glanced at him for inspiration but he shrugged. He was already trying to come up with his own question ahead of time so he wouldn't be caught out.

"I have never exposed myself in public," Pyrrha eventually said.

Melanie froze. "Intentionally or accidentally?"

"Either," Pyrrha replied, leaping on the first sign of weakness.

With a hefty sigh, Melanie drank. This time it was Miltia's moment to cheer, and Jaune did the same, getting in to the swing of it a little more. When he held a hand out to Pyrrha, she giggled and slapped her palm against it.

"There's not much to the story," Melanie recounted. "There was a fire alarm at the club and I was sleeping. I threw on a dressing gown but it got ripped on the way down and I didn't notice. This bitch over here," she said, jerking a thumb at Miltia. "Didn't bother to tell me my ass was showing until literally everyone caught an eyeful."

Miltia sighed nostalgically. "Ah, that was a glorious moment."

"My turn," Jaune said. He'd thought up a question but it felt risky, especially since he was with four girls. Still, it was his best shot. "I have never kissed a girl."

"Define kiss," Miltia said.

"Make out," he replied, realising that if he let it be a peck, any time he'd kissed his mom goodnight as a kid would work against him.

To his surprise, Miltia, Melanie and Neo all took long drinks.

"Really!?"

"Trust a guy to get excited about that," Melanie teased. "But yeah, we _do_ work in a nightclub and there are plenty of girls around. Can't answer for Neo, though."

The diminutive girl made a silent giggling sound and put one finger to her lips, hinting at a secret.

Saucy.

"Seriously, though, you've never kissed a girl properly?" Miltia laughed. "That's nuts."

"Hey," he whined. "Pyrrha didn't drink either."

"It's a little more forgivable in her case," Melanie pointed out, patting Pyrrha's knee. "But hey, if it means that much to you." Melanie stood and sashayed over to Pyrrha, who suddenly froze with a deer in the headlights look on her face. Melanie gave her plenty of time to escape, and probably took the fact Pyrrha didn't as permission, even if it was more due to surprise.

Before she could say anything otherwise, Melanie's palms cupped Pyrrha's cheeks and drew her in for a scorching kiss.

Jaune's mind fizzled out and died.

It didn't last long – maybe six seconds at most, but Melanie somehow made it the most erotic thing he'd ever seen, darting her tongue out to lick Pyrrha's lips when she pulled back. "Hm, strawberry. I like strawberry."

Pyrrha's face practically matched her hair.

"So," Melanie said. "Now it's just Jaune who hasn't. Anyone like to change that?"

Jaune's brain still wasn't quite working after seeing such a display, but he saw Pyrrha's eyes widen suddenly and the girl turn. He didn't catch anymore, however, as a hand caught his collar and pulled his head back around to face Miltia, whose lips crashed into his a second later.

Hot. Very, very hot. The heat was the only thing he really noticed as Miltia's eyes were closed and nothing else mattered. Her lips were soft against his, but also tingly and tasted of vodka and something undeniably sweet. Something pushed against them and he gasped, soon forgetting everything as a tongue wrestled with his. He couldn't even perceive the world around him and was left to gasp when she drew back.

"Needs work," Miltia said, licking her lips. "Not bad for a first try, though. I'll give you a six out of ten."

"W-What…?"

Miltia shrugged and refused to answer, taking another long drink as Neo busily picked herself up off the floor, wiping her eyes with one hand as she held a scroll in the other. Jaune's head was still fuzzy, and for once it definitely wasn't the booze. His fingers came up to touch his lips and came away wet.

"Next," Miltia said. "I've never fantasised about a teacher."

The game went on for a few more questions as Jaune tried to recover his wits, drinking occasionally but otherwise trying to catch his breath. It eventually reached Pyrrha once more, who had looked glum for the last few minutes, but now sat tall, determined. She took a deep breath as Melanie finished her round and everyone but Jaune drank.

When it came to her turn, Pyrrha gathered herself, took a deep breath and spoke.

"I've never made out with a boy."

"Oh, come on!" Miltia growled. "That's fucking cheating."

Everyone but Jaune and Pyrrha drank.

And then, without a single warning, Pyrrha turned, cupped his cheeks and leaned in. Pyrrha's kiss was softer and less certain, questing and questioning, but somehow still more experienced than his despite the fact that they'd both had their first kisses not three minutes prior. It was only when she parted and licked his lips on the way that he realised. She'd learned from Melanie immediately and used it on him.

"Clever girl," Melanie giggled. "Also, well played."

"Tch…" Miltia crossed her arms and glared at Pyrrha.

While Pyrrha merely smiled and leaned back, seemingly satisfied with some internal decision. "I've no idea what you mean," she said. "It's your turn, Jaune."

His turn?

To do what, kiss someone?

"Uh…"

/-/

"Mels?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"I like youze, Mels. You're a real friend."

"Yes I am, Jaune," Melanie sighed, hoisting the drunk teen up on one shoulder. "Also, don't call me Mels."

"Melon?"

"No."

"Me-"

"No."

Jaune's eyes crossed as he tried to think up a new name for her, but he apparently got lost in thought halfway and drifted off entirely, lurching a little until a pair of hands steadied his other side. Red hair danced before his face and he smiled.

"Pyr!" he cried happily, as if he'd only just noticed her presence.

Except that it was the sixth time in as many minutes that he'd `only just noticed` her.

"Hi Jaune," the redhead replied, giggling a little too much. It was the sixth time she'd said that, too.

Melanie rolled her eyes. Trust the girl not to complain at her nickname, or Jaune's less than stellar drunkenness. Well, better a friendly drunk than a violent or sleazy one. Still, Pyrrha could at least give her a hand in dragging Jaune through the back corridors. Then again, the girl wasn't exactly looking steady on her feet, either.

"Where goin'?" Jaune slurred.

"Bed," Melanie replied.

"Oh. I live in the street."

"No, you live _down_ the street in your apartment," Melanie corrected. "And there's no way we're leaving you to walk home alone in this state. You're sleeping here."

"With you?"

Melanie spluttered for half a second before she caught it and laughed. "No, Jaune. Not with me."

"Aw." His eyes crossed again. "With Millie?"

"Not with Miltia, either. She's as gone as you are and Neo is putting her to bed. And not with Pyr," Melanie added before he could think to ask it. She shot the redhead a look, not quite as annoyed to have their party crashed as Miltia had been. "You need a room, too?" she asked. "We can put you up for a night."

"Can I?" The girl's voice was a little slurred and her cheeks pink, but she was still in a better state than Jaune. "It's a long way back to the Bullhead docks."

"Yeah, it's fine. I'll sort you out once we've tucked him in."

"Bedside story?" Jaune asked.

"No."

"G'night kiss?"

"Going for the hat trick? Adventurous. I think `Millie` and `Pyr` might have something to say about that, though." Melanie nudged a door open with her hip and helped Jaune stagger in. It was one of many guests rooms Junior had, most being for staff and whatnot. Navigating Jaune over to the bed took some work, as did getting his shoes and jacket off. She left him in his trousers and shirt, though. He could work those off himself or sleep in them.

She did have the forethought to put a glass of water on the side, though, by which point he was already fast asleep and no longer asking for a story or a kiss. Melanie laughed quietly and held a finger up to Pyrrha for silence.

The two let themselves out and closed the door behind them.

"He really does work too hard," Melanie said. "A night out and a good lay-in will do him well."

"Y-Yeah," Pyrrha said. She caught herself wobbling and leaned against the wall to take a few short breaths. "Is that why you forced him to come out with you?"

"Pretty much."

"You really care about him…"

"Eh, say it like that and I'll get all flustered. Jaune's a friend. If he won't make time off for himself, we'll do it for him, and if he won't play ball, we'll force him into it. Besides, he had fun." Melanie wriggled her eyebrows until Pyrrha blushed. "I think you had fun, too."

"I did," Pyrrha admitted. She wore a faint blush and an almost excited smile. "Though you could have still asked me before you… you…" Her cheeks flared with colour.

"Made out with you?"

Pyrrha nodded in abject mortification.

"Hey, it gave you the opening you needed – and the technique. You learn fast."

The girl's face heated up even more and she struggled for words, eyes straying towards the ceiling for an escape from the teasing. "W-Well, maybe," she finally said. "I guess I don't regret it if it led to that." She sighed suddenly and met Melanie's eyes. "I'd like to apologise for crashing your party, but I'm not sure how. I… I feel bad but I don't and I'd do it again."

"Staking your claim, huh? Eh, it's fine. Neo thought it was hilarious and I didn't really mind."

"I know, but… your sister…"

"Miltia isn't sure _what_ she wants," Melanie said. "She's not as strong as she looks. No one is who acts out like that and I know my sister better than most. Far as I see it, you gave her the kick up the butt she needed to realise she has to make a decision sooner or later. Jaune is the first guy she's actually trusted enough to get to know outside of Junior, and he's old enough to be her dad. Acts like it, too."

Pyrrha nodded. "Does she like Jaune that way?"

"I don't know. She doesn't, either. She likes him in some way, and I figure she got spooked when you showed up and threatened to take that away, even if she's not sure what she wants. I guess that's why she tried to frighten you off, and then decided to fight for his attention."

"I see…" Pyrrha didn't, but Melanie appreciated the fact she was willing to try.

"Don't worry about it. I'll always be on my sister's side, but I'm not going to be a bitch to you, nor Jaune if he decides he wants to spend his time with you. I'll just ask you be the same with Miltia. She's rough around the edges but, well, she's my little sister."

"I thought you were twins."

"I was first by half a minute. I'm the big sister, and trust me when I say I've never let her forget it." Melanie smiled when Pyrrha laughed at the joke. "Alright, you, come on, let's get you somewhere to sleep. You going to ask for a goodnight kiss, too? I might give you one if you do."

"Melanie!"

"Aw, you're precious."

Pyrrha grumbled but couldn't quite hide the smile she wore as Melanie led her away. She felt she'd gotten her point across, even if it had to be delivered mouth to mouth, and maybe she'd even made a friend or two at the same time.

Velvet and Coco were right. If she wanted something doing, she had to do it herself.

* * *

 **The ubiquitous hot springs episode, except without the hot spring. I used to go out clubbing with girls a lot (none of which were my girlfriends or whom I got with, just friends) and it was amazing how often stuff like this happened – especially the jealousy sandwiches. Local university was something like 78% female, which meant it was really easy for someone's new crush to be someone else's ex. Ah, the amount of times I had to play the diplomat in the middle, ugh. Also the amount of times me and some other girl would be like "Wanna dance? Yeah, sure," and just abandon the jealousy to hide on the dance floor like cowards. "Is the drama over? Nope. Keep dancing? Hell yes."**

 **We also played I never a lot, too, along with Ring of Fire, Confidence and a few other drinking games. I also remember my only male friend there (very limited pool to pick from) basically making out with ME in the same way Melanie did to Pyrrha here, because** _ **every time**_ **we played I never, they used the "never kissed someone of same gender" thing to get us drinking and he was tired of it.**

 **It was weird, but eh, we all just laughed. I think it was a Halloween party because he was dressed as Jack Sparrow and I was dressed as a woman because the girls begged me to do so, shaved my legs, fit me, did my hair, etc (also because nothing more frightening for Halloween than me in a skirt. I did _not_ wear it well.). I wasn't hot girl enough to fool anyone, sadly, but a few guys and girls posed for funny pictures groping my fake breasts and whatnot. Someone also princess carried me. xD**

 **Stuff like that just sort of goes at clubs over here in the UK, especially in uni towns. I remember more than once seeing guys with Scottish kilts, and some would even flash them up and show they were hanging loose underneath. No one batted an eyelid. We'd point, laugh, cheer, give the guy a high-five and then go back to having fun. I also remember there was a club called Echo (famous for being a bit shitty) and it had a clothesline high above the dance floor, and through the night it would fill up with underwear given to the DJ. It was sort of a joke, but looking back it really did fill every night, which means there must have been so many people dancing commando. Kind of crazy, but it's all just fun at the time. I donated mine once.**

 **Anyway, Pyrrha is stepping into the ring and Miltia is confused and nervous, reacting without thinking to claim something she isn't wholly sure she wants but is unwilling to give up. Meanwhile, Neo is just watching the fireworks. Classic Neo.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 24** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	25. Chapter 25

**God it's so hot in the UK at the moment. And everywhere, probably, but it's hard to feel empathy when I am literally covered in sweat. My office at home is so small, and my computer** _ **belches**_ **out heat like some kind of furnace. Combine that with the zero breeze we're getting and the scorching weather, and it's getting really hard to write at the moment.**

 **Still managed it, but it's painful. T_T**

 **Give me rain!**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 25**

* * *

"I… I think I'm dying."

"Baby's first hangover," Melanie said, sliding a pate stacked high with greasy food in front of him. There were two fried eggs, three rashers of bacon, two sausages, toast and some hash browns. It smelled delicious but Jaune's stomach didn't just rebel, it threatened a civil war. "Eat," Melanie suggested, seeing his expression. "Trust me when I say you'll feel better once you do."

Jaune spared a glance for Miltia to see what his fellow sufferer was doing, only to find her forcing the food down, one elbow on the table, her cheek cupped in her hand, and the other moving a fork up and down with mechanical focus.

Shrugging, he did the same, and instantly felt a little better. Junior was an amazing cook.

Despite the breakfast, the clock on the wall told him it was closer to noon, which Jaune couldn't bring himself to be too fussed about, even though Velvet and Russel would be handling the Saturday rush on their own. He'd woken up hurting too much to care, though despite the pain he somehow felt a lot more relaxed than he had for the last few weeks. Then again, this was the first time he'd really slept in past six.

As for the others… well, breakfast was a somewhat awkward affair. Melanie smiled and looked between them all, while Miltia and Pyrrha steadfastly refused to make eye contact with him, one another, or their breakfast. The only one to even speak so far was Junior and Melanie. Neo was fine, of course, but lacking the ability to speak she'd taken to looking at pictures on her scroll and laughing. Judging from the way she'd glance up to him and grin every now and then, he was sure those pictures were incriminating evidence of drunken stupidity on his part.

He just hoped there weren't any videos, since even through the drunken haze and hangover, he could vaguely remember having asked Melanie to sleep with him. Wonderful. Somehow, he doubted the fact he'd meant it in a completely innocent manner would stop her teasing him until he died.

And then there had been the kisses…

Oh, Gods above, he couldn't forget those, not that he wanted to.

"So, how did you find it?" Melanie asked, sitting down with her own breakfast. "Your first night out clubbing. It was fun, right?"

"It wasn't as bad as I expected."

"Nice to see you have such high expectations of us," Miltia snarled. Her eyes met his and they both looked away a second later, Jaune coughing with red cheeks and Miltia growling down at her bacon and eggs.

Melanie looked between the two of them and grinned. "Well, I'll bet certain things were better than he thought they'd be." She ignored Jaune's groan and turned to the huntress at the table. "What about you, Pyrrha? Productive evening?"

"I-I guess? No, it was wonderful," she amended, this time with some confidence. "Thank you for letting me join you all. This is the first time I've really been out with friends."

"Aw, that's sweet. You're welcome whenever you fancy it, carrot-top."

Pyrrha seemed confused at the nickname, and then amused a moment later.

"So," Melanie asked Jaune, "What are you up to today?"

"I have a meeting to make around one and then I'll be going back to the diner. I guess I'll do a little work while I can and try not to think too much on what Roman said about Café-"

"Ah, ah, ah," Melanie halted him, hand up. "No talking shop at the breakfast table."

"Sorry. Uh, I'll just be working, then. Probably get an early night to recover from this."

Melanie didn't seem overly impressed with that. She fixed him with a pointed glare, one eyebrow raised. She nodded once to the side, towards Miltia.

Jaune tilted his head to the side.

Melanie coughed loudly. She jerked her head to the left, then did so again. She coughed once more.

"Do you have something caught in your throat?"

Melanie groaned.

Neo slammed a hand on the table as she laughed in silence.

Jaune had a feeling he was missing a hint, but for the life of him couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be. With an audible sigh, Melanie gave up, at least for now. "You're hopeless," she said. "I guess I'll have to do everything."

"Everything about what?"

"You'll see, Casanova."

/-/

Jaune got away from the girls before too long and out into Vale. It was a bright and hot day, too bright for his bloodshot eyes, but at least the heat was nice. His head cleared up a little thanks to the fresh air and the painkillers Junior provided. Working in a club, he had a stash big enough to stock a pharmacy on hand. With his stomach full, his batteries recharged and the sun on his skin, Jaune finally felt himself coming back to life.

 _Maybe I needed this time off,_ he thought, stepping past some pedestrians and not even feeling annoyed when one bumped into him and mumbled something that might have easily been `fuck off` as `sorry`. It actually didn't bother him. _It's funny how I've had every weekend off since I was born, and I never really appreciated it, yet now that I'm working all the time a day off like this feels incredible. It's like I'm seeing the world for the first time._

It had to be context. Even water was delicious to a man dying of thirst in the desert, absence makes the heart grow fonder, or other sayings like that. He'd never realised just how amazing it was to walk around and just appreciate a sunny day before, but now that he spent most of those indoors working, he could.

He'd have to do something nice for the twins. They'd realised just how overworked he was becoming and did something about it. They weren't the first. Ruby and Weiss often said it, but they'd trusted him to know when to stop, which looking back was a bad idea. He'd stubbornly rejected their wisdom and kept going. Jaune added an apology to the list of things he owed, and for once he wanted to pay them back in a way that didn't involve coffee. It felt half-assed to offer than when he literally had gallons of the stuff on hand. Context again.

The time outside couldn't last, however. Jaune reached his destination and stepped through the clean glass doors, into a foyer that was utilitarian yet comfortable, with white walls, a wooden floor and a small number of incredibly comfortable-looking black sofas. There was a young woman with a suit behind a receptionist's desk, and she smiled at him prettily.

"Hello there. Welcome to Greyson and Bond. Can I help you?"

"I have an appointment today," Jaune said. "I think it's a Kelly Salmons?"

The woman checked her computer for a moment, and then pressed a button on the intercom, whispering a message through. She then looked back up. "Mr Arc, is it? Yes, I have everything here. If you'd just like to take a seat, Miss Salmons will be with you soon."

"Thank you."

It only took a few minutes for Miss Salmons to arrive, and Jaune had barely started on the magazine offered to him when she did. She was a woman of short stature and a medium build, with mousy brown hair, glasses and a tailor-made blue suit that hugged her curves. Everything about her was meticulously in place, with not a single hair or freckle to ruin the image. She extended a hand, and he stood, shaking it.

"Mr Arc, right? Can I call you Jaune? Wonderful. My name is Kelly Salmons, but you can call me Kelly. If you'd like to come through, we can talk in my office."

"Sure thing."

Kelly led him down a narrow corridor and past a water-cooler into what was a relatively small, if well-furnished office. She had a largeish desk in the centre with two filing cabinets behind, a book case to the left and another water-cooler on the right, which she offered him a drink from as he took a seat. Behind her desk, and above her head, was a diploma attached to the wall, informing him that she had graduated with honours from Vale University in the field of civil and criminal law.

Given her young age, only around twenty-five or so, he could imagine she had people doubt her, hence the obvious show. As a solicitor she'd be fairly new, and certainly not the best in Greyson & Bond, but then again, he couldn't _afford_ the best, nor did he need to.

"So, I received your message, and a request for two hours of my time. I take it you've perused my hourly rates."

"I have, and they're fine." In truth, they were expensive as all hell, but with both Roman and Weiss insisting he have things checked, it was a cost he was prepared to stomach. Jaune reached down into a little leather case he'd brought to Junior's the night before and brought out a folder filled with documents. "This is what I wanted you to look through. I think I mentioned what it was briefly on the scroll, but the basic idea is just making sure there aren't any nasty tricks."

"Yes, I recall." She took them, adjusted her glasses and then glanced to him. "Before I start, you _are_ content to agree to Café Prime's joint offer, no? Or is it that you wanted me to try and gouge them for more?"

"No, I'd rather not do that. I just want to be sure there aren't any hidden surprises."

"Understandable, and perhaps for the best. While Greyson & Bond would be happy to fight your corner if you wanted to go further, Café Prime's resources are much greater than your own. No offence," she added quickly.

"None taken."

"So yes, challenging them would be a poor idea. You would find yourself buried in legal costs rather quickly, and they could likely stall proceedings until you die of old age. Or the apocalypse happens, whichever comes first."

He laughed nervously. It was the not-quite-joking tone she used that had him feeling a little weak at the knees. Dad had always told him there was nothing worse than a lawyer, though his mother argued that health and safety inspectors were so much worse.

Jaune remained as quiet as he could for the next hour and a half. Idly, he realised he should have delivered these to her the night before, because it couldn't have been easy for her to work while he was sat there. Work she did, however, with a focus that surprised him. Occasionally she would pause to consider something, a silver and gold-scrolled pen tapping on her desk, but she moved on after a while, making a note on a piece of paper every now and then.

"Most of this is fairly water-tight, and straight-forward," she eventually said. "Of course, I wouldn't be much of a solicitor if I didn't suggest some changes. Such as here." She tapped a line and then spoke again in a formal voice. "Neither party shall move against the other or make complaints, until such a time as either has had their exterior expansion challenged by a third party." She took her pen and touched it to the line. "I'd like to change it to `such a time as _both_ have had their exterior expansion challenged by a third party."

"Is it a big deal?" Jaune asked.

"In contract law the capitalisation of a single letter can dictate who is right or wrong. In this example, Café Prime are basically saying that neither of you can make complaints against the other, but that if _another_ company makes a complaint, they can do so. It could be exploitative, especially if they were to influence one of your neighbours to complain about you. It would mean that they can keep their tables out in the street, but you would have to bring yours back inside – and worse, once this happens, they can reject and complain if you try to move them back out again."

That would be bad. If they were already willing to have someone attack him, then bribery would be well within their options. "Will changing it to both protect me?"

"Yes. It will mean that until both of you suffer a complaint, they will be forced to honour the contract and maintain their support for you. It might not stop someone complaining, but it will stop them being the cause of that."

"Okay, let's go with that then."

Kelly nodded and typed something onto her terminal. It wasn't just a matter of crossing out a line in the contract after all, and she had to write the whole thing up again and have it printed off, at which point Café Prime might want to make their own changes. That could prove costly, since it would mean he'd need to come back for more legal advice.

But maybe he could take a leaf from Roman's book and be a little more heavy-handed. Really, there was no reason he had to play the underdog. Café Prime had more to lose from this not working than he did.

"Can you include a cover letter saying that if they don't agree to this, the deal is off?" Jaune asked. "I can't afford for them to keep sending this back like some game of legal tennis."

"I can. Just give me a moment."

Fifteen minutes later and one and a half thousand lien lower, Jaune left the office in proud possession of a new legal document, his name signed at the bottom, and a nice – if aggressive – letter stating that he had made changes and expected them to be upheld, and that if Sterling wanted to change them, he could save himself the time and not bother. Kelly assured him it might not work in getting Café Prime to accept, but that it probably wouldn't matter because if they wanted to change the contract again, it was almost certainly because they planned to take advantage in some way, at which point he was better off refusing anyway.

"Play it smart and play it presumptive," she'd told him. "If you show weakness to so large a company, they will swallow you whole."

Easier said than done, but he appreciated the advice.

/-/

The diner was in the midst of a renaissance when he returned – a literal renaissance that was, with Russel and Velvet wearing clothing not seen for at least four-hundred years and somehow making it work. It was as busy as it ever was on a Saturday, but even so he had the chance to smile and nod at some familiar faces, not just Team RWBY in one corner, but also Ozpin and Oobleck in another, and Ren and Nora by the counter.

"We weren't sure if you'd be working or not, so we didn't get you a costume," Velvet explained when he stepped behind the till. "How was last night?"

"Don't worry about the costume. As for last night, it was… definitely a thing."

"Oh? Anything _interesting_ happen?"

The way she said it made him a little suspicious, like she expected something to have happened – but he dismissed that as foolish. There was no way Velvet could have known he'd end up kissing two girls on the night, and besides, it was just a game they were playing. He wasn't going to get his hopes up like that.

But as for the night? Well, there was Roman being a criminal, Café Prime being out for his head, some miniature gang war held over coffee of all things, and then Pyrrha and Miltia both making out with him, and him asking Melanie to sleep with and read him a bed time story.

"Some stuff," Jaune said evasively. "Nothing too exciting."

The look on Velvet's face said she didn't believe him.

"Oh, another thing," she said suddenly. "There's someone waiting to chat with you upstairs."

"Who?"

"Can't say." Velvet grinned apologetically. "They asked me to keep it a secret. You know them, though. He proved it."

Jaune hummed as he tried to think up who it might be, only to come to a blank. Velvet's smile gave nothing away, though there was a certain added amusement to it. Worse, Team RWBY were snickering behind him. He shot them a suspicious glare and while Weiss managed to look away, Yang wore the most shit-eating grin, Ruby kept smiling and even Blake couldn't quite hide her amusement.

Well… that didn't bode well.

"Russel says we can handle here without you for today."

"Gee, thanks. My own employees giving me the day off."

"Just so you don't push yourself…"

"I know, I know. Thanks Velvet, and tell Russel I said thanks, too." He nodded as Velvet was called off to serve a customer. Russel waved once from a little further away. They were busy but seemed to have it all handled, which spoke well of them really, since they'd have had to come by on their own, open up, set everything and get to work all without his input.

Russel was as good as his previous employers claimed, while Velvet had turned into something of a hidden gem, if only because she was so eager to do well and prepared to listen to Russel despite that he was younger than her.

Making his way up the staircase at the back, Jaune wondered who his guest might be. Alexander Sterling was an option, but he doubted everyone would have been laughing like that if it were true. When it came to guys, his list of friends ranked fairly low. Roman would certainly earn a few laughs, but also screams, arrests and threats of violence. Ren was downstairs, Russel was working, and he'd already seen Ozpin. That was kind of it. Jaune opened the door and stepped in, easily spotting the man in his apartment.

Tall, blond, broad and with a presence that could be felt as easily as it could be seen, the man stood from the ratty couch and smiled down on him.

Jaune spluttered. "Dad!?"

"Hello son."

Two words. Nothing more. Nicholas Arc was always a man of few words, but he was also a stern and often brooding person. That he looked positively amused now didn't bode well, and neither did the fact Jaune was currently dishevelled, hung over and smelling of alcohol.

"Um, I can explain."

"Your friends told me what you were up to."

"Eh heh…"

"I'll refrain from telling your mother."

"Thanks." He breathed a sigh of relief, and after a moment's thought stepped over to give his father a quick hug. "I'm sorry about the mess in here. I've not really had time to do anything about it and Russel and Velvet need somewhere to change into their outfits."

"It's fine, Jaune. Honestly, it's still cleaner than your bedroom ever was."

True, even if the irony was that the only reason his apartment was clean at all was because he didn't have the free time to make a mess. He basically came up, ate, washed his pots and went to bed each night.

"Yeah, well… what are you doing here?"

"I'm only visiting," Nicholas said. "I've been hired to provide some organisational tips to the huntsmen handling the defence for the festival, but I won't be staying for it." He'd never liked seeing huntsman training used for sport, Jaune recalled. "But while I was here, I knew I had to come down and see how you were doing. We knew you'd started up your own business, but you never really told us what you were doing."

Heat crept up his neck at that and he felt a flush of shame. He really hadn't been keeping up with his letters and calls home. "Sorry. I've just been so busy…"

"Again, your friends informed me. Quite the hard worker, or so I hear. Or, as your employees would have it, you're someone who works too hard and doesn't take any time off for himself. I hear this was the first time you have since you came here."

"Heh, well…" He wasn't sure what to say. It felt weird to have your dad tell you off for being too much of a hard-worker, especially with how slack he'd been when he was younger. Still, Nicholas wasn't wrong per se. He had been overdoing it. "It's something I'm trying to fix. I realise I've been pushing myself too hard."

"Good. How about you and I go for a walk, then? If you're as hung over as you look, some fresh air might do you well."

"That… That doesn't sound like a bad idea."

/-/

It was a little bizarre, Jaune decided, walking down the streets of Vale with his father beside him. It shouldn't have been since he'd lived at home up until a month or two ago, but there was something about the city which changed you. Maybe it was just that he was used to there being a bigger crowd, Nicholas' moments at home rare enough that he and all his sisters had to vie for their father's attention.

Supporting a family of eight children was neither easy nor cheap, which often forced Nicholas into long hours and dangerous missions.

In a way, Jaune often wondered if that was why his father had been so against him becoming a huntsman in the first place. He'd never offered any training, rejected the idea of taking Jaune along on a mission, and otherwise stonewalled any attempts to talk about what being a huntsman was like. Such had frustrated him before, and maybe still did, but he couldn't bring himself to be too angry about it. It was all in the past and he was, if nothing else, content with how things were.

"Your mother will be thrilled when she finds out you followed in her footsteps. Of course, she'll probably start sending you ideas for more drinks."

"I wouldn't be against that. I've already started selling some of her recipes."

"Yes, I know. I saw them on the menu. The young man you hired makes it well. I'd almost say I couldn't tell the difference between his and your mother's." He winked. "Don't tell her I said that, of course."

"My lips are sealed."

"I took a few pictures while I was there, and I guess we'll have to take a few of us otherwise she'll send me marching back for them. You're quite popular, too. Even when your mother worked in a diner, it wasn't quite so busy."

"I've been really lucky."

"And unlucky, I hear," Nicholas said slowly. "Your friends told me about the incident…"

Jaune winced. The attack wasn't something he could really avoid talking about, but at the same time it wasn't like his father could complain, either. No one expected a simple coffee shop to be attacked like that.

"It's dealt with," he eventually said. "The people responsible were found and I got Crocea Mors back."

"You got it back?"

"No, my friends did. I wasn't involved."

"That's good. You shouldn't get involved in any scuffles if you can help it. I know your aura is unlocked, your faunus employee told me, but aura won't stop someone stronger and faster from beating you into the ground. It'll just take them longer to do it, dragging out the pain."

"I know, dad. I've got no intention of getting into any fights."

"Hm. Funnily enough, I believe you with that. You've changed, Jaune. Before you left, all you could talk about was being a huntsman. I'll admit that I'm… relieved to see that didn't work out." He said relieved, but Jaune heard pleased instead.

"Yeah well, I'm a business owner now."

"But are you happy?"

Jaune paused. Was he? He stopped to think about it for a moment. His dream had always been to become a huntsman and be someone, but that was vague and kind of naïve looking back. Russel was a huntsman, and Velvet and Pyrrha were huntresses, but it was clear that they'd each had their problems and reasons why they weren't happy. Russel and Pyrrha still did.

Beacon wasn't the automatic happiness he'd expected it to be, and it really was childish that he'd expected it to be. With no skill, no aura and no experience, he'd either be a bottom-of-the-pack runt, crippled or dead.

Compare that to now where he was overworked, yes, but also succeeding. He had friends, some less on the legal side of things than he'd like, but all of which he genuinely loved. He also had a whole diner full of faces that he knew and recognised, and who recognised him in turn. What had he really wanted from Beacon? Respect, fame, recognition? He had all that now – and a whole lot more to boot.

"Yeah," Jaune said, feeling a smile spread over his face. "Yeah, I'm happy with this."

Nicholas placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then that is all that matters. For what it's worth, I'm proud of you. You're excelling at something you were never prepared for, and that takes real character."

Jaune's cheeks heated up. His parents had always told him they were proud of him, but it was always in the way parents did. Oh look, you drew a picture that is pretty much only just within the lines. We're so proud of you. You got a B in all your subjects!? We're so proud!

But this, this was the first time he'd heard those words and actually felt proud of himself, too. It was a good feeling.

"T-Thanks, dad. That means a lot."

"Your friends are nice too, even if they are all huntsmen. They were very keen to see some pictures and videos of you when you were younger." Nicholas didn't notice Jaune's face grow pale. No wonder they'd all been hiding their laughter, those traitors. How many had seen those embarrassing frames? Of all the times for him to be out getting wasted.

"Y-Yeah? I, uh, I don't suppose you chose to _not_ forward those on to anyone, right?"

"It would be a little strange for me to send my son's baby pictures to someone," Nicholas pointed out. "Even if the blonde looked like she might beg on hands and knees."

"Damn it Yang…"

"But I _did_ hear something interesting while I was there. How you'd been invited on a night out by some pretty young ladies."

Jaune groaned and sat down on a bench, ending their walk in the park for a brief moment. This was just the kind of conversation he'd have expected of his mother, and Nicholas was probably only going through with it because Juniper would have him sleeping on the couch for a week if he failed to.

"Yes, they were girls, but no I'm not with any of them," he said. "They're friends. Nothing more."

"Hmm. Are you so sure of that?"

"Dad, please…"

"It's just some of what your friends told me suggests otherwise," Nicholas said softly. "You remember my advice, right?"

"All I need is confidence." Jaune snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Hey, that advice was good."

"It didn't do me much good back in Ansel."

"That's because you misunderstood what I meant," Nicholas said with a sigh. "Look, confidence isn't walking up a random woman and trying to flirt with her. That's either bravado, arrogance or being a creep."

Ouch.

"Confidence is in having faith in yourself and being open to the possibility that good things can happen if you have the confidence to pursue them. Take these girls, for instance. What makes you believe that they only see you as a friend?"

"Because they just are," he said, all too aware of his father's eye roll. "I mean, they made friends with me and we talk a lot."

"Most relationships start with friendship, son."

"Not on TV…"

"TV is not the correct place to find relationship advice. You realise that I met your mother in similar circumstances you are in right now. She worked in a little coffee shop and diner here while I was in Beacon, and it was over four years that I got to know and fall for her."

Jaune shot his father a deadpan look. "You fell for her in one year and spent three chasing after her like a lovesick puppy, before you got her pregnant and she agreed to marry you. Mom told me all about it."

Nicholas winced with every word. "That's not _entirely_ inaccurate… but it still proves my point. I showed my interest by coming back time and time again even though the food was terrible and the service heart breaking. More than that, if I'd let my confidence escape me, I'd have never had the guts to keep trying, and _you_ wouldn't exist."

That sort of made sense, but it was enough so that Jaune couldn't argue, no matter how much he wanted to. "So what, you're saying that I should be looking out for girls who keep coming back over and over? I have quite a lot of customers who do that."

"Well, you certainly have the confidence aspect down when it comes to business," Nicholas teased. "But surely there are some who seem more interested in _you_ than they do what you serve. These ladies from last night, perhaps?"

The twins and Pyrrha. The sensation of lips against his flashed through his mind. His cheeks heated up and there was no way his dad missed it. Even so, he looked away.

"They're just friends."

"Are they pretty?"

"Beautiful," he replied, and he meant it for each of them.

"Do you like them?"

"I… I could." If he let himself.

Miltia was caustic and sharp, but that only showed how much she cared. She teased him constantly, sometimes with her body as much as her words, and there was a part of him which liked that. Who wouldn't? It was positive attention from a beautiful woman.

Pyrrha was the same, albeit softer in every way. She was kind and conscientious, and someone who would listen to him ramble on about things even if she didn't know all that much about it in turn. She didn't tease him, but she did laugh with him at their shared jokes.

A guy would count himself lucky indeed to be with either of them. Jaune shook his head.

"I'm not in their league, dad, trust me."

"All you need is a little confidence, son."

"Sure, and a willingness to risk my friendship with them if I'm wrong." Which he was sure he was. The kisses… those had just been a game. Melanie had as good as dared Miltia, and her response was a given. Miltia didn't back down. As for Pyrrha? Well, she'd probably just wanted to fit in. If she hadn't gone through with it, she'd have been teased mercilessly. "They're my friends, some of my best friends, not to mention customers. I don't want to risk what I have and mess things up."

He wasn't an idiot, or at least not as much of one as everyone probably thought. There was _something_ there last night. It just wasn't a certainty, and he was too afraid to move on something that he might have misread.

Did that make him a coward? Probably. Dad tried his luck with mom with less.

But it didn't change anything.

"Alright," Nicholas said. "I'll leave it be. Just remember, confidence isn't you being outward or aggressive. It's being willing to believe in yourself. Sometimes you won't feel confident; I certainly didn't with your mother, but just being willing to force yourself to try it either way can mean the difference between being happy or not. The worst someone can say is no, but if you don't ask in the first place you'll never get a yes."

Damn it. Why did everything like this have to be so bloody complicated? Well, they probably felt the same about him. A part of him wanted to just delay until the business with Café Prime was over, but he knew his dad would just say that some things couldn't be delayed, or that if he waited too long he'd miss his chance.

He'd be right, too. Even Jaune knew life wasn't convenient enough to hit with one thing after another. Sometimes everything came down at once.

What did _he_ want? Jaune wondered.

He knew. He was just afraid to try. In the end, his father knew him well. Confidence had always been his biggest issue. It was just hard talking to Nicholas about it, because as much of his dad might have told him time and time again that he was as much a bumbling and idiotic teen as any other could be, Jaune just couldn't see it. His old man was so strong and powerful, so certain.

"If you won't take advice from me, then ask someone you trust more," Nicholas said, reading his mood easily. "Someone your own age perhaps. Maybe even one of your employees or friends."

Ruby. Ruby would be willing, and she'd keep it secret, but would she really know about this? Yang struck him as more knowledgeable, but as nice as she was, he didn't feel quite so comfortable with her. She was a great person and Ruby spoke well of her but talking to a beautiful woman about how to know if someone else liked you… it was just too much. At least Ruby felt safe at fifteen.

Russel? He couldn't imagine the guy ever having had a girlfriend. His home life felt too complicated. As for Velvet, he already knew she and Coco were getting friendly with Pyrrha, which meant asking her a bit too much. He'd be asking her to talk behind a friend's back or reject an honest request from her boss. That wouldn't be fair.

Roman…?

No. Just no.

He'd have to think about it, but he had options. That was all that mattered.

"I'll talk to someone," he promised. "But can we move onto a different topic now?"

"Of course. Did you know Coral has submitted the first draft of her book to a local publisher? She's waiting on a response, but she thinks it has a fair chance of being accepted, if not in Vale then at least in Ansel and some of the surrounding settlements."

"Please tell me it's not about a man opening a coffee shop," Jaune begged.

Nicholas was curiously silent.

"Please tell me it's not smut…"

Nicholas placed a consoling hand on Jaune's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, my son."

Damn it.

* * *

 **I always thought that the stick we give Jaune's father in the show for the "confidence" speech was a little unwarranted. Confidence is probably the biggest piece of advice I've ever given my friends for dating. Problem is, I think Jaune in the show (purposefully on RT's part, of course) misunderstood what his father meant by confidence.**

 **Confidence isn't walking up to a random girl and flirting terribly any more than walking into crocodile infested waters wrapped in a bacon suit is confidence. One is practically harassment and the other is suicide.**

 **And hey, it can't be any worse than** _ **my**_ **father's dating advice when I was younger, which basically boiled down to – "Literally go out and ask every girl you see if she'll go out with you. Even if you get a thousand no's, you'll eventually get a yes. That's just probability."**

 **I mean… yeah, technically? He's not wrong there. Ask enough people and _someone_ will like what they see...**

 **But not even I have skin thick enough for that much rejection xD**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 7** **th** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	26. Chapter 26

**Still out of it, but I think I'm getting better. More awake, anyway. Last few days I've been feeling like I'm exhausted even if I get loads of sleep. Been getting 8-10 hours (Normally do 6). But this morning I felt bad but better after a shower, whereas before I felt awful even then.**

 **It's a small thing, but it's a sign.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 26**

* * *

"It's really more of a sleepover."

"A sleepover," Yang repeated, slowly. "At a boy's place?"

Ruby shuffled and stared down at her feet. Crud. She really wished she'd explained it differently now, especially since Yang with a juicy rumour was like a dog with a bone. It hardly helped that Weiss and Blake were listening in, for all that they both pretended they weren't. Blake was busy reading a book, but she hadn't turned the page in a while. Weiss' pen hadn't touched her homework since the conversation began.

Of course, neither of them was going to come and help her. Traitors.

"Do you have protection?"

"I'm taking Crescent Rose."

"Not what I meant…"

"It's not what you're thinking, Yang. It's _really_ not what you're thinking. Jaune and me are friends."

"Jaune and I," Weiss corrected.

Ruby grumbled under her breath.

"That's how it usually starts," Yang said. "A boy and a girl are close friends. They spend time together. They start to realise how much they enjoy one another's company, and _bam_ , you're pregnant."

Blake snorted. "I think there are a few more stages between those…"

"And I'm sure your little books have a ten-step plan," Yang drawled back, earning a scowl from her partner. "My point is, Ruby is too young for either of those things."

"You realise you're my sister and not my mother, right?" Ruby asked, red-faced. "I'm not really asking your permission, Yang. I was just telling you so you don't panic when I'm not here tonight. Or in ten minutes."

"And I could tell Dad. We both know what would happen then."

"Ugh. Why do you have to be so annoying?"

"I think it's a rule among sisters." Yang's teasing grin faded a second later. "But seriously, if you'd just tell me what you'd be up to, I wouldn't be so panicked. Jaune's a decent guy, but you going all red-faced and stammering out excuses isn't doing much for me."

"We'll be studying together."

"Ruby, he runs his own business. He doesn't need to study anymore."

"H-He needs to study business stuff."

"And you'd be the one to study this `stuff` with?"

Ruby groaned and looked away. Yang was totally getting the wrong end of things, which was pretty much par for the course where her sister was concerned, but it was still a pain in the butt. It would have been a lot easier if she could come out and say what she was going for, but Jaune asked her to keep it a secret. It was _serious_ business, and knowing what it was about, Ruby agreed.

Yang just wouldn't accept that.

"It's private."

"Oh sure, that makes me feel so much better."

"We're not _doing_ anything like that. Look, Yang, just let it go. Jaune needs me. I'm going to go spend the night."

"He _needs_ you?"

"Needs my help," Ruby amended.

"Spend the night?"

"Sleeping! As in, two of us. Different rooms. Different beds. Full-body paralysis. Crazy vivid hallucinations and then total amnesia."

"Whut?"

"Dreams. I mean we'll be going to bed, sleeping, have our dreams and that's it. No touching, no… stuff that you're thinking!"

"You know, you can say sex. You're fifteen."

"Damn it, Yang!" Ruby clapped both hands over her red face and screamed into her palms. "Just stop talking." With a scowl, Ruby grabbed her bag and slung it up on her shoulder. She had pyjamas, a sleeping bag, toothbrush, paste and everything else she needed. "I'm going. If you follow me, I'll never forgive you. Weiss, Blake, make sure she doesn't, please."

"Will do," Blake said.

Yang scowled. "Hey!"

"Thank you." Ruby smiled with genuine appreciation and jogged out the room before Yang could make any more arguments.

"What's the big issue, Yang? It's Ruby. And Jaune. That's hardly a powder-keg of hormones. I don't think they like one another that way."

Yang sighed and sat down on the edge of her mattress. Being a big sister was hard, especially when Ruby was so socially awkward. And the whole not being very subtle thing. "I know, I know. Ruby is married to being a huntress. I don't think she's ever shown any interest in guys, girls or anything else."

"Then what's the problem?"

"The fact I saw her rummaging through your books earlier."

Blake froze. "What?"

"And she took a few and stuffed them into that bag."

"What?"

Yang sighed again. "Yeah. Just so you know, if my sister goes off, `experiments` and gets in trouble because of what she read in _your_ books, I'll be holding you responsible."

Blake's ears drooped.

/-/

Ruby giggled nervously and shifted next to Jaune. It wasn't the first time she'd been to a sleepover, and not even with a boy, but it still felt a little awkward. It might have been because the last `boy` she'd slept with had been, like, seven, and so had she, or it might have been because whether he was just a friend or not, Jaune was big, broad-shouldered and kind of cute if you squinted really hard or were born Pyrrha Nikos.

Or it might have had something to do with the very vivid, very descriptive sex scene they were both reading at that moment.

Hard to say, really? Could have been anything!

"Do you think this is accurate?"

"What?" Ruby asked. "The fact they had sex on a wall for forty minutes, or the fact he penetrated her with a twelve-inch spear of raw masculinity." The book's words, not hers. "Because I really hope it's inaccurate, or I'm never going to have children."

"No, not that. I meant how they got together."

How they did what not? Oh, right. The story had a plot where the guy and girl got to know one another. Ruby had read it along with Jaune, but she'd kind of forgotten it when they got to those smut scenes.

"Maybe? I mean, these are romance books. They have to be at least a little realistic."

"They're fiction."

"I know, but even fiction is based on real life. A fantasy book might have dragons and elves and other stuff like that, but it still uses swords, and people still wage war for the usual reasons. I think it's still based on real life stuff."

"I guess…" Jaune flipped the page and they read on.

Ruby's thoughts on sex had never really been all that developed. Dad gave her the talk a while back and then, because he'd thought it hilarious, he told Yang he hadn't and made _her_ give Ruby the talk, too. To be fair, it _was_ funny seeing Yang blush like that.

Then they'd done it to Qrow, too, at which point they'd all realised that if Uncle Qrow ever did settle down and have kids, they'd have to give them the talk before Qrow did. The things he'd said were horrifying.

Either way, Ruby knew what sex was and why people did it – even that a lot of people did it for fun. Dad said that was fine so long as both were adults, knew what they were doing, consented and were careful. So, yeah, she knew how it worked. Better to be in the know than a fumbling teen, Dad said.

But she'd just sort of classed it as that thing she'd maybe have when or if she wanted to have a family. She hadn't found anyone she liked that way and Yang said you couldn't force it, and that would just mean having your first time with someone who wasn't the right one, ruining it forever. Ruby could see the logic there, so when she'd gotten old enough for some guys in school to show some interest, she'd kept her mind open but politely declined any who asked.

Well, the one who asked. She wasn't that popular…

Jaune was probably the only guy she'd gotten this close to since, but the thought of him and her like that – and she _had_ thought about it, if only in an embarrassed way – didn't make her feel all that giddy. She got red-faced, but not out of desire. In fact, she couldn't help but imaging them face to face, him above her, and then the two of them bursting into giggles.

He was a good friend, but she was pretty sure that was all he'd be. Which was fine. Awesome, even. Ruby promised to be the best best-friend she could be, come rain or shine. Whatever he needed, she'd be there. This she swore.

And then he'd asked her for dating and sex advice.

Great…

Was it too late to take that promise back?

Apparently so.

"Yang really would be better for this," Ruby pointed out, even as it irritated her to say it. "She's had a boyfriend or two before." One lasted longer than the other and ended on okay terms when he had to move away. The other tried to stick his hand down her pants on day two. He'd… gotten better. In time. Honestly, he was lucky Dad and Uncle Qrow hadn't found out. Or Zwei.

"It would be kind of awkward to ask Yang about it…"

Ruby's mouth fell open. Her stomach clenched. "You're interested in Yang!?"

"What? No, no, no. It's not Yang."

"Oh, thank god…" Ruby slumped so hard she nearly slid off the sofa and pooled on the floor. It was only his body against hers that kept her upright.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he quipped. "You think Yang would turn me down that quickly?"

Yes.

"No…?"

The look on Jaune's face said he caught the white lie. "Don't worry about it. No, it's not Yang, but she knows the two involved. And she maybe doesn't like one of them all that much."

"Two…?"

Jaune bit his lip. "Uh…"

"There are two girls you're talking about? I'm pretty sure one of Blake's books is about that."

"No, no, it's not like that." Jaune stopped her before she could bring out the black-covered tome that hinted at threesomes within. "And we're not really that far along either. If at all. I don't even know if they like me or not. That's why I wanted to ask your advice. How do you tell if a girl likes you?"

"Without asking…?"

"Y-Yeah."

Okay, should have guessed there. Not like she could blame him, since, if she liked a guy, she'd not feel brave enough to ask them either. Then again, she probably wouldn't have to. Between Yang, Blake and Weiss, any guy she developed a crush on would be lucky to survive the week without being cornered, interrogated, threatened with ruin (physical and financial) and then hand-delivered to her wearing a suit and a bow tie.

But Jaune didn't have the benefit (and the horror) of a team like hers, so she had to work a little outside the box. The biggest problem was that she'd never liked a guy enough to try and get his attention, so she had to go on what she'd seen other girls do. Yang, and one or two of her old friends.

"Okay, so the first thing a girl who likes you would do is try to be around you more. I think anyone would do that. They'll talk to you a lot and try to spend as much time with you as they can without being creepy. Does that help?"

"I run a coffee shop. I'm around people all the time."

Oh, right. Yeah. It was probably hard to differentiate in that case. "Um, okay. So, another thing a girl might do is dress up nice to get your attention. Or basically doing anything to get your attention. Boys do it, too, but they tend to be a little less… uh…"

"Subtle?"

"Kinda…"

"I have seven sisters, Ruby. I'm fully aware of how a boy tried to get Coral's attention by stealing her glasses, and another time by putting gum in her hair."

Ruby cringed, imagining what Yang's reaction to that would be. Luckily, she'd never been the subject of someone trying to get her attention like that, but Yang had. Minus the gum part. A good thing since she might have killed anyone who did that.

"I think people get better at that as they get older," Ruby said. "If it's someone our age, they'll not be that bad with it."

"Makes sense."

"So, anyone doing that for you?" Ruby asked.

Even if she was just doing this to help him, there was a part of her that wanted to know who it was her best friend had an eye on. Maybe she was just being nosey, but she liked to think it was because he deserved the best. A selfish part of her was worried it might take attention away from her, but she squashed that down. Just her social anxiety kicking up again.

"I don't know…"

Ruby sighed. "You don't know as in you're not sure, or that you just don't pay attention to it?"

"W-Well, when I'm busy, I'm busy. Sometimes I don't notice anything past the fact when the diner is full. And people dress up nice all the time when they come out into Vale. I don't have many examples of seeing girls in casual clothes."

"Okay, sheesh. This is more difficult than I thought."

"Sorry…"

"It's fine. If you're busy with work, it's not like you're not noticing because you don't care, so I think it's okay. We just need to try a different angle." Ruby hummed and cupped her chin for a second, before perking up. "I know. Why don't you tell me what happened to make you think they like you?"

"And you can tell me if it means they're interested," Jaune realised. "Ruby, that's a great idea."

She preened a little. "Yep. I'm a genius."

"Okay. So… we were out at a nightclub together."

"Uhuh," Ruby said, leaning forward.

"And then they both kissed me."

"…" Ruby blinked.

"On the lips," Jaune added, or clarified. "With tongue. For about a minute or more."

She stared at him. Long and hard.

"Do you think that means they like me?"

Ruby sighed. She was fifteen, and she already felt like she was too old for this.

/-/

In the grand scheme of things, Pyrrha was pretty happy.

She'd just spent another evening with Coco and Velvet, this time without the guys – and Pyrrha liked that even _she_ had started calling those two `the guys`, because it made her feel like a part of the group. Yatsuhashi and Fox were great, if a little intense. With just the three girls though, they'd gotten down to some rather stereotypical girl-talk.

The irony, of course, was that it was the only real time they'd ever bothered, since most of the time they were together they talked about movies, books, lessons, huntress weapons and other things that mattered a whole lot more than boys. But this time, for whatever reason, the conversation had just sort of naturally shifted.

Might have had something to do with the fact she'd told Coco she kissed Jaune.

Just maybe…

"How was it?"

"Magical."

"Girl, magical doesn't exist," Coco cackled. "It's a word used in fairy tail romance and shitty romcoms. Hot, sweaty, tastes of cinnamon or whatever else they've been eating. That's a kiss. Not to mention where their hands are. Now, give me the real details."

"Alright, alright. It was… it was definitely hot. And I mean hot as in warm!" Pyrrha hurried to say, right as Coco's eyes lit up and Velvet smothered a laugh in her fist. "The whole club was boiling hot and I was covered in sweat. I must have looked awful."

"Pyr, no one can see what you look like under strobe lighting. Trust me on that. What next?"

"Well, I didn't know how to do it, but the other girl – Miltia – just sort of took his kiss randomly. Just like that."

"And you got jealous?"

"No. Yes. Maybe…"

"Nothing wrong with that, girl. No one says you have to be the patron saint of virtue."

"I know, but… I don't dislike the other girl. She was kind of rude, and very blunt, but her and her sister were nice people and they really seemed to want the best for Jaune."

"The Malachites do care for him," Velvet spoke up. "But I don't think being jealous means you hate them."

"Velvet speaks the truth. Jealousy is natural. You're only a bitch if you act on it against her or try to hurt her. Competing for the guy you like isn't cruelty."

Pyrrha nodded and instantly felt a little better. Velvet was kind and always thought out her words in a way that made them seem so logical she couldn't help but accept them. Coco was the exact opposite, and yet somehow managed to sound so worldly, so experienced, that Pyrrha couldn't doubt anything she said. And maybe they were right. It was okay to feel jealousy so long as she didn't act on it and go after Miltia. Both Coco and Velvet motioned for her to go on, so Pyrrha took a breath and continued.

"The kiss itself was rushed. I didn't want to chicken out, so I just took hold of his face and pushed my lips against his without really giving myself a chance to doubt it. It… It did feel good, though. He tasted of peach and apricots."

"Apricots?" Velvet wondered.

"Probably his drink," Coco filled in. "And you pulled the moves the other girl did on you, huh? Sheesh, girl. I give you one or two bits of advice and you pull a girl _and_ a guy in one night. I am so proud right now."

"Coco!" Pyrrha slapped her friend's arm but laughed along with her and Velvet. Yeah, she felt too good to be upset at the teasing. Maybe Coco was right when she said no kiss was truly magical, but it had been wonderful _,_ and she desperately wanted to do it again. That was enough to prove it was a good idea.

"Now all we need to do is set Velvet up and we'll be home free."

"Coco!" Velvet was less willing to accept the teasing, not quite being on the same high as Pyrrha. "One, no we really don't, and two, I don't see _you_ with a boyfriend."

"Eh, I'm waiting for Mr Right."

"Maybe I am, too."

Coco raised an eyebrow.

"I could be," Velvet protested.

Weakly.

"You're not. And I know you're working all the time, but that's only made you even more of a catch," Coco teased. "You're more sociable, more outgoing, and you rock that uniform. Seriously, you make it _work_. Damn."

"Why am I being more perved on by my own partner than my customers?" Velvet groaned.

"Because I have taste. What do you think, Pyrrha? Smash or pass?"

"I think Velvet looks great," Pyrrha said, politely choosing to dodge the question and not embarrass Velvet any further. "I can't say I knew her before working at Jaune's, but if you say she was quiet and shy before, I'm not sure I'd believe you."

"See?" Coco nudged Velvet, who wore a pleased smile and a bit of a blush. "You've come out so much, and trust me, guys love confident girls. Girls, too, if you're so inclined. You're a huntress, so you've got the body of a goddess, so what's holding you back?"

"Apart from me not wanting to?" Velvet snarked.

"Yeah, apart from that."

Coco's grin didn't budge for an instant. Typical Coco.

"It's not that I'm not interested," Velvet eventually said. "I just haven't felt for anyone like Pyrrha has, so I don't mind waiting a little. Sure, there are some guys I get on with, but-"

"Yats and Fox _totally_ don't count, Vel. They treat you like a sister."

"I didn't mean them!"

"Oh? Then who did you mean?"

"Well, apart from Jaune, there's Russel and a few customers…"

"Ooh, Russel Thrush?" Coco wriggled her eyebrows. "Forbidden romance, huh? I like it."

"I said I get on with him, not that I- Ugh, Coco, you're hopeless." Velvet shook her head. "Russel is a good guy and I like him, but we're colleagues and friends. Nothing more."

"You sure?"

"Definitely – and I know he feels the same way because sometimes even _he_ treats me like Yats or Fox does."

"Aw… lame."

"Not lame. Totally fine." Velvet rolled her eyes and settled down. "Russel is a good guy, and I wouldn't be upset if I _did_ like him. I think I'd try it and I think I could be happy with going out with him. I just don't feel it."

"Might be awkward considering who he hangs out with," Coco pointed out.

"You mean Cardin?"

"Yeah. He's a pretty big racist."

"Russel isn't like that," Velvet laughed.

Pyrrha and Coco shared a look. It was hard to tell if Velvet realised or not, but Pyrrha was sure she'd seen Russel hanging out with Cardin while the bully insulted faunus, and she'd never heard him challenge the other or step in. She'd never heard Russel join in, either, but that didn't really change things. Hanging out with Cardin and not challenging him was as good as condoning his actions.

"Maybe he holds it in at work," Coco said. "Jaune wouldn't like it."

"No, he's not like that," Velvet said, this time with a little force. "I'd know, Coco, being, you know, the very target of what we're talking about. Russel looks at me normally. He talks to me normally. There's not a hint of him being that way."

"Not around you, anyway. He might just be good at hiding it."

"Russel helped me!" Velvet suddenly snapped. "He stood up for me when some people came and started being racist. He fought them!" She stood, pushing her skirt down and glared at both Coco and Pyrrha. "I'm not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth him."

"Vel, wait," Coco called. It was too late as Velvet stormed out and slammed the door behind her. "Ah, shit."

Pyrrha stood, but Coco caught her arm and pulled her back down.

"What are you doing? I need to apologise to her."

"Not now," Coco warned. "You'll just make her even angrier. Besides, it's more me she's upset with. I'll talk to her later."

"Why not now?"

"Because If I apologise now, all I'm really apologising for is making her angry. She doesn't want that; she wants me to apologise for what I said about him. What's he like? You're his partner."

"Yes, but I don't know him well…"

Coco sighed. "Do you think he is? Racist, I mean?"

"I… I'm not sure. He does hang out with Cardin, and we've both seen Cardin abuse faunus. I don't know what Russel thinks, but if he was against it, he'd say something, wouldn't he? He wouldn't just stand there and watch it happen."

"I don't know," Coco admitted. "He might."

"So, he's a coward?"

"Or other things. Could be a number of reasons."

"Velvet seems to think he's not a racist." Pyrrha pointed out.

"And she'd know best." Coco sighed and leaned against her bed. "I'll apologise to her. Not like I can claim to know him better than she does when she works with him, like, five days a week. If she says he isn't, he isn't."

"What about me…?"

"You don't need to apologise," Coco grinned. "It was me who said it. Vel won't hold you over it. Sorry to ruin the evening."

"No, it's fine." Pyrrha stood and wished Coco good luck, letting herself out. Velvet was nowhere to be seen, but had probably gone off to the library, or maybe to find Yatsuhashi and Fox to complain to. Team CFVY would sort the issue out internally, as they often did.

She hadn't really been involved either way, which was kind of sad, really. Russel was _her_ partner. If they were wanting to know more about him, there shouldn't be anyone else in Beacon who knew him better. The whole thing could have been avoided if her team wasn't this mess of long silences and awkward avoidance.

 _Should I do something about it?_ Pyrrha asked herself. She hadn't before because she'd lost hope of anyone treating her like a normal person and given up, but hadn't Coco and Velvet proven her wrong there by becoming her friend?

Couldn't she do the same to her team? It was a little late, yes, but if Coco could apologise for upsetting Velvet, she could do the same with Russel.

It couldn't hurt to try.

/-/

"Jaune…"

"I'm being serious."

"That's the issue!" Ruby groaned, face still in her hands. "The issue is that you're literally the densest person alive."

"Hey…"

"Yes, you big idiot. A girl kissing you on the lips is a sign that she probably likes you."

"Are you sure?"

Ruby threw her hands in the air and almost fell off the sofa. Was she-? Oh, come on. Maybe Yang wasn't needed for this after all, since if she'd heard this, Ruby had no idea what her sister would do. Give up on him? Take him to a doctor and ask for a check-up?

No. That was unfair. If Jaune honestly still felt the need to make sure after what was a clear sign, then that was probably a sign of something wrong with him.

"Jaune," she began cautiously. Firmly. "Why do you think a kiss isn't a sign?"

"B-Because friends can kiss."

"We haven't."

"W-Well, no…"

"I don't think Blake, Yang or Weiss have kissed you either," she pointed out. "And I've never had a guy friend kiss me on the lips, with tongue, for as long as you're saying this girl did to you. A friendly kiss might be on the cheek." For emphasis, she leaned up and pecked him on his left cheek, grinning as his face heated up. "Like that. Not…"

She trailed off and gestured uselessly. She hadn't really thought his through, but she wasn't going to do the other just to prove a point.

"Not like what she did."

"I know…" Jaune let out a long sigh. He looked away. "It's just… I don't know. I guess I just don't see why anyone would be interested in me like that."

"Why not?"

Jaune waved a hand. He seemed to realise what he was saying and looked away. "It doesn't matter."

 _It does to me,_ she wanted to say. Did he think he wasn't good enough? Was that why he was so eager to dismiss someone's interest in him, because he thought it _had_ to be misplaced because no one in the right mind could like him? Ruby scowled, recalling a time when she hadn't felt quite so different. Not towards romance but making friends in general. Back when she'd wanted nothing more than to stick with Yang and let her do all the talking.

But if she'd done that, her friends wouldn't be _her_ friends. They'd be Yang's. Just like they were back in Signal.

"Do you not like yourself?" Ruby asked.

"What?" Jaune's eyes widened, and he quickly laughed. "No, it's not like that. I-I'm a lot happier than I used to be. Genuinely," he added when she narrowed her eyes. "I'll admit that when you first met me, I felt awful. I was crushed about not going to Beacon and I thought I was useless. But I've proven I'm not now. This," he said, indicating the apartment, and below it the diner. "This proves I can do something right."

"Who does it prove it to?"

"Ah…" He trailed off.

"Your Dad didn't seem to think it needed to," she said, recalling the stern, but funny man they'd spoken to. "He told us a little about you back home and your family, about how they all wanted to know how you were doing. They didn't seem worried, though. It didn't feel like anyone there thought you wouldn't be able to make it."

"And it's not us, either," she continued. "I called you a super businessman on the first day I met you, and you got me to drink coffee and like it. Me! I couldn't doubt you after that. Weiss helps you because she thinks you can succeed and because she can. Blake trusts you with her secrets, and Yang doesn't have any issues with you. They only knew you as being this anyway, so it's not like you had to prove anything to them." Ruby took a deep breath. "So, who? Who does this prove it to, Jaune? Who are you trying to prove yourself to?"

He didn't answer, but Ruby didn't expect him to. She knew the answer.

"It's you. Isn't it?"

"It's not… It… It's not like that…"

"I think it is," she said, watching him carefully. He didn't deny it, at least not convincingly. "You failed to get into Beacon, so I can get you doubting yourself. I would, too. But you don't have to do all this to prove you can be successful, and the fact you feel you have to in the first place sucks. I'm worried about you."

"You shouldn't be. Don't worry about me."

"Stop it! Stop putting yourself down."

"W-What? I didn't. I just said not to worry."

"And I'll fricking well worry if I want to," Ruby growled.

"Frick…?"

"Shut up!" she snapped. "We're not talking about me. We're talking about you. Jaune. My friend. My _best_ friend. The kick-butt café lord of Vale. The guy who came out of nowhere and is doing so well that he has the _biggest_ chain on Remnant opening a new shop just to try and compete with him. And even then, they weren't able to steal all your customers."

"Yang went to watch their concert."

"And Yang will never be allowed to forget her treachery," Ruby growled. "Stop trying to change the subject. The only one doubting you is you." She poked him in the chest. He looked stunned, but also a little withdrawn. "I think you don't like yourself," she said. "I think you _think_ you do," she added when he looked ready to argue. "But I think secretly, deep inside, you think you're useless."

"I-I do…?"

"Subconsciously," Ruby decided, relieved to have recalled the term. "It's like, even if you're content with how things are going, you keep thinking of it in terms of you failing Beacon. The whole Beacon thing is still weighing down on you, even though you thought you were over it."

"I never realised. I thought… I told Ozpin it was fine. I _understand_ why he did it. I wouldn't be any good in Beacon. I'm _pleased_ I'm out here instead."

"And Weiss is pleased and happy to let me be the team leader, but that doesn't mean she still doesn't feel a little annoyed for not being good enough." Even if Weiss did her best to hide it. "The only difference is that she gets annoyed at herself, not me. It's normal to feel like that."

"I guess so." Jaune rubbed his head and sighed. "So, I'm still bothered by the rejection, and I've let it choke me out here?"

"I think so." Ruby felt a little relief that he hadn't gone off the handle or gotten angry at her. "It makes sense. Anyone would be upset about it. But you need to accept it was a thing and let it go. Beacon didn't work out. _This_ did, and it's working out amazingly!"

Jaune's smile was a little prouder. "It is…"

"No, it _really_ is," Ruby argued. "You've got success, some money, a place to call your own, employees, friends, and now you might even get a girlfriend. Can you say you expected all of those things to happen?"

"No." Jaune grinned again and sat a little straighter. "No way. I, well, it was always something I wanted, but I never thought…"

"Because you kept doubting yourself. But you shouldn't anymore. If a girl likes you, she likes you. Don't insult her by suggesting she's made a mistake or doesn't know what she's doing." Ruby rapped a hand on her skull. "We're pretty smart, you know."

"You mean _you're_ pretty smart," Jaune teased back.

Ruby grinned. "And don't you forget it!"

"You're a good friend, Ruby," he said, wrapping an arm around her. Ruby allowed it, but also coughed meaningfully. "The best friend, I mean. Sorry, I forgot I'm not supposed to judge you by mortal standards, Goddess of Friendship that you are."

"You are forgiven." She tapped his nose with a finger and they both burst into giggles.

She had a feeling he'd be okay.

"Okay, so now that I have to accept that they might like me – and oh my God, girls might like me – I need to know what to do about it." Jaune shared a meaningful look with her and Ruby returned it with a nod of her own. Reaching out, she grabbed a big bottle of soda and plopped it down on the table. Jaune leaned the other way and came back with a bag of snacks.

Blake's stolen collection of books was laid out between them.

"Things turn steamy when Lisa, right out of a relationship, meets a baker she cannot take her eyes – nor hands – off. With family visiting, a school reunion in two weeks, not to mention her ex clamouring for her return, what is Lisa to do?" She read a little further. "Hardcore romance and steamy action."

Jaune nodded. "Sounds good."

See. She was smart in more ways than one. If Jaune wanted to learn how to romance, he needed to learn from the master, and Weiss always did say you could learn things from books. Sure, it would take him some practice before he got it down, but she could help.

What were friends for?

/-/

Back in Beacon, Blake suddenly sat up straight in bed, sweat running down her brow.

"Blake?" Yang yawned, letting a hand fall over the bunk above. "What's up?"

"I felt a wave of terror wash over me. Like the White Fang just planned the end of the world, yet worse. Far worse."

Yang yawned again and rolled over. "Go to, snrghhh…" She didn't finish, already off in dreamland, leaving Blake behind to look down at her hands which continued to shake. Was it her imagination or was the bunk above a little lower, the tower of books she'd used to support it a little shorter? It wasn't. Several were missing.

More than several.

"I've got a bad feeling about this…"

* * *

 **No, they didn't have sex. I'll just head that off because there is always someone who jumps to it. Ruby and Jaune have their one-to-one, while Pyrrha resolves to face her issues head on and confront Russel.**

 **Jaune gets his `better than you think you are` speech, and Ruby is HALPING.**

 **Well, at least Militia might approve of the research…**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 21** **st** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	27. Chapter 27

**Had some lovely confusion at work today when I said I liked the "penultimate" image when we were looking at cover images for the September issue of one of our magazines, and I just got a digital proof from the printers showing a different cover. A much worse one. Had to pay to have it changed, because by the time it reaches the printers you're not supposed to make alterations and it causes them delays, etc…**

 **Asked Sales Manager how this happened, and she admitted she didn't know what penultimate meant but didn't want to appear dumb by asking me, so guessed one cover out of ten. I'm like, "Why didn't you Google it…?"**

 **Her face goes blank. "Oh yeah. I didn't think of that…"**

 **Fuck my life. I guess that's what I get for not making things abundantly clear, though. Really ought to have said "I like image number 9" or something. Or maybe just described what's on the image instead.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 27**

* * *

Jaune woke in a panic on his couch, and he only realised it was his day off after he'd stumbled into his work pants and had the kettle already going, by which point he was too alert to go back to bed. Or couch in this case. Ruby was sleeping in his bed. It was only fair since she was his guest and all. The clock on the wall told him it was ten past six. Early, but he'd probably have to wake Ruby up soon if she wanted to make it back to Beacon on time.

The night had been… interesting.

There were a few times when he'd been younger where he slept over at a friend's house, or they at his, but that was years ago and before his last friend had turned on him after Jade turned him down. As if it was somehow _his_ fault his sister hadn't returned the guy's feelings. Hormones made everything complicated, especially when you had seven sisters who were all beautiful in their own way. There were a lot of guys who tried to get into their good books by pretending to be nice to Jaune.

This was probably the first proper sleepover he'd had, and definitely the first with a girl, and with the two of them alone. His mother would have been frothing at the mouth to know what went on, and then equally disappointed when he said nothing.

Ruby and he had just stayed up reading, blushing, and laughing in equal measure over Blake's books. It wasn't that they were badly written, but it was hard to take them seriously when Ruby would giggle whenever it got to the action, and then she'd set him off too and it would all descent into madness.

Also, he was fairly sure if he tried any of the things her books suggested, he'd break his back. Some of the things described in there just didn't seem anatomically possible, and Jaune failed to see how a `raging fourteen inches of raw masculinity` would make it any easier.

 _And I'll never be able to look at Blake the same way again. Great._

The clock struck half-past and Jaune rapped a hand on the door to his bedroom, earning a grumble from within. He didn't give up and kept knocking, forewarned by Ruby that to accept her calls of being awake as fact was to condemn her to sleeping in until noon. She was only awake when she was on her feet and moving around.

"I'm up!" she cried mournfully.

He kept knocking.

Something soft hit the door – likely a pillow – before he heard bare feet touch wood and a startled gasp. Yeah, his floorboards were like ice in the morning. At least _that_ would wake her up. A muffled curse came from within before Ruby staggered to the door, his own blankets clutched around her, and peeked her head out.

"It's half-six," he explained.

"Ugh."

"Wednesday."

"Ugh?"

"Beacon."

Ruby sighed. "Ugh…"

The door closed again, but he could at least hear her opening her bag for some fresh clothes, so he went back to preparing a quick breakfast. He was so used to waking up at Ungodly-O-Clock that it was sometimes hard to sympathise with people who weren't.

A door opened and closed, followed by another, and a few minutes later the shower started running. A distant part of his mind pointed out that a girl was naked in his shower and that this ought to have been an arousing thought.

He was kind of glad it wasn't. Ruby was too awesome a friend to lose over stuff like that. He munched on a slice of toast instead, letting it hang from his teeth, slowly being drawn in with each bite, while he fried some eggs on a pan and put some bacon beside them. Coffee was eschewed for once – because it was his day off and _to hell_ coffee on his day off – and a bottle of fresh orange juice came out instead. By the time he had everything ready and on the small coffee table in the front room, Ruby came out of the shower fully dressed and all smiles.

"Morning!"

"Morning to you as well," he said, hiding his amazement. The transformation from zombie to Ruby Rose was a frightening one indeed. "I made us some breakfast. If you're going to have to catch a Bullhead back to Beacon, you might as well not have to queue at the cafeteria."

"Mhmm, smells good. I could get used to this, you know. Having someone cook me breakfast every day. Can we be roommates?"

"Could you wake up at six every day?"

Ruby shuddered. "Ugh. Never mind."

"What? You're saying my breakfast isn't worth waking up for?"

"It's good," Ruby allowed, already digging in. She grinned suddenly. "But not that good."

"Mean!"

The two burst into laughter a second later. The rest of breakfast passed with quick chatter between them, Ruby telling him all about the lessons she'd have in the day – which she assured him weren't _nearly_ as exciting as they sounded, especially Grimm studies – whereas he told her what he'd be doing on his day off.

"Just wandering around, I think. I'm stuck inside while I'm working and then I sleep here at night, so it's nice to just get out in the sunlight, even if I don't have anything planned."

"You should pick up a hobby."

"What, some kind of sport?"

"Yeah, sure. Something to get excited about that you can only do on a Wednesday. Just to give yourself something to look forward to."

"It's not a bad idea…"

He had no idea what he'd want to do, but Ruby had a point. He couldn't just wander aimlessly all day every day off or he'd go insane. Back home in Ansel, he'd spent his free time reading and playing video games, mostly RPGs with fantasy storylines.

It didn't really appeal now. Not if it kept him stuck indoors even more.

"I guess I'll have a look around," he said. "Nothing comes to mind now, but maybe I can find something if I keep my mind open."

"Tell me what it is later," Ruby said, waving her scroll.

"If I find something."

"You have to find something," she teased. "Because I'll be giving you a test on it tonight."

"Brat." He swatted her head good-naturedly. "Make sure to take all your smut with you when you leave. I don't want anyone to see it here and think it's mine."

"Blake's smut," Ruby stressed. "Blake's smut. Not mine."

"Sure. I'll pretend I believe that."

Ruby gasped in wide-eyed horror.

/-/

Jaune was awesome.

She'd thought it before, but last night – and this morning – confirmed it. Best. Friend. Ever. Sure, Dad would freak if he knew she'd spent the night with a boy, and he probably wouldn't believe they'd not done anything, especially after they'd stayed up reading poorly-disguised porn. Still worth it. Jaune was _her_ friend, and his friendship with her team, which was great in and of itself, was all because she'd introduced them.

There was no `maybe he's Yang's friend and only putting up with me`, or the annoying `sees me as an immature hanger on with the rest of the team` nonsense. Jaune knew she was fifteen, didn't care, and acted the same around her as he did Yang. Or not quite the same; _more_ relaxed around her, which was even better.

Ruby was in so good a mood that she didn't notice the shadow come up behind her as she wandered toward Beacon, humming a happy tune. She didn't notice it come close, though she certainly noticed the arms hooking under her armpits, lifting her feet up off the floor.

"I've got her!" Yang cried.

"Y-Yang!? What the heck? Put me down!"

"I've got her," Yang shouted again. "Quick, tell Weiss to bring the handcuffs. We can hold off on the emergency broadcast."

"Weiss isn't going to bring anything," Blake drawled. "And the `state of emergency` you called earlier was pretty much ignored by everyone." The faunus sighed and looked to Ruby, offering a sympathetic smile. "Morning, Ruby. I'm sorry about what's going to happen."

"W-What!?"

"We tried to stop Yang, but… well, you know how she is. Easier to just let her get it out of her system."

Get what out-? And Blake wasn't even going to _try_ and help her? Traitor! Mutiny!

"Hurry, we've got an hour before lessons start and Ruby will hold out for fifteen minutes before she cracks. I need to know everything that went on. Details. Blake, do you have the morning after pills I asked you to get?"

Ruby's face turned bright red. They thought she- and…!? With an indignant squawk, Ruby started to kick her legs madly. "Yang, I'll kill you! Nothing happened. Let me go!" She saw someone who might save her. "Miss Goodwitch, he-mrbl!" The rest was cut off as one of Yang's hands fastened over her mouth.

"It's for your own good, Rubes. We need to- OW! You bit me!"

Yang released her and waved her hand in the air, wincing at the red teeth-marks in the flesh there. She looked up to complain but yelped as Ruby struck her around the midriff, dragging Yang to the floor and pinning her down.

The two started to wrestle angrily.

Weiss arrived with a heavy sigh, took one look at the mess, another at the curious and amused students watching, and turned to Blake. "Want to abandon them and get some breakfast?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

/-/

What did people do on their days off?

Like the slave to efficiency he'd become, the question plagued Jaune. He was walking down the sidewalk, it still being early enough that there were relatively few pedestrians. The only other people active – and he meant active, not just technically awake and walking to work like a robot – were the shop-owners and workers. Those like him who woke early to have their stores open for when the masses finally woke up.

The early hours of the day belonged to them, and it almost looked like the city did, too. They smiled and exchanged greetings, some recognising one another and others asking after loved ones and family, sharing little tales and the day's news.

In an hour, the streets would be a sea of people on their way to work. They wouldn't smile, wouldn't look up from their scrolls and _certainly_ wouldn't talk to one another. Oh no, they were on their way to work, likely lamenting the fact they had to be at their desks by nine.

Nine! Jaune laughed. He dreamed of the day he could start work at that time. Except that he didn't because he was normally ready by half-six and if he had to wait any longer to get going, he'd go insane.

Corporate slaves, some called them. Jaune wasn't sure if that counted for him or not.

But that wasn't the issue at hand. He had a day off, and no premade plans courtesy of the Malachites with which to let it slip away. He was left instead with the burning question that had haunted him ever since Ruby had to go to school.

What was he supposed to do?

Relax?

Obvious answer was obvious, and not exactly helpful. Yes, relaxation sounded nice, but _how_? Stop for a cup of coffee? Ha, no.

No coffee on a day off.

The park?

Maybe…

Bereft of any other ideas, his feet carried him in the direction of one of the larger parks in Vale, a beautiful one that looked over an artificial lake. More of a pond, really, but everyone called it a lake because it sounded nicer. It was certainly _big_ enough for it.

On weekends and evenings, he'd been told the park was bustling, but early morning weekday it might as well have been a cemetery. There were one or two elderly couples, retired and enjoying the day, and some birds coming down to feast on scraps left by litterers overnight. The bins were overflowing and ready to be emptied within the hour, and the benches were covered in graffiti. Typical city stuff.

Knowing better than to sit on one, Jaune stepped onto the warm grass and sat down on the embankment, looking down on the lake.

Yep. Looked nice. Now what?

 _Now, I relax._

A few seconds passed.

A bird landed nearby and picked up a cigarette butt, flying away to catch cancer. An insect crawled onto his boot and ignored all his attempts to flick it off. When it was finally knocked off, it clambered back on and sat there, taunting him.

A bigger insect came and killed it a second later, beginning a buffet on Jaune's foot until he kicked both off and sighed.

Days off were _hard_.

He had a feeling a lot of people would disagree with him there, and quite violently.

His eyes caught sight of someone on the opposite bank, a girl his age or a little older. She was far enough away that she wouldn't think him looking as odd, but her attention wasn't on him anyway. It was down at a large notepad open and resting against her knees, which she appeared to be drawing on.

An artist? Probably just someone who liked to draw. The area was nice enough for it, litter notwithstanding. He'd be in the shot now, and a part of him wondered if she'd draw him. He'd be little more than a shadow across the lake if she did.

Still, it was a hobby. He needed to pick one up.

Drawing probably wasn't it. His mom did have a collection of his drawings from when he was younger which she cherished, but she did for all her children and that was definitely a "only your mother could love it" kind of thing. He was _not_ artistically inclined.

A hobby like that would be nice, though. Maybe something he could sit down and get lost doing, but which would preferably be outdoors. Something that didn't require much strain, either. Despite what it may have seemed like working inside, spending all your time on your feet and serving tables was _not_ an easy task. His legs were killing him as it was.

 _So, water-sports are out. As are any sports. I can't draw for anything, but… maybe painting?_

He'd tried that in school and been about as good as any other student, which was to say not at all, but then again it probably wasn't about being good. Not unless he intended to sell his works. This was just to help him relax and waste a little time.

"Jaune…?"

The voice was familiar and yet not. He looked back over his shoulder to find a tall woman stood behind him. She looked surprised to see him. "Cinder?"

/-/

Cinder moved a piece on the chessboard. It was a stone thing with a stool on either side, not the most comfortable of seats but enough that she wouldn't have to sit on the grass with her bare legs. It was Cinder who suggested the chess, but he knew the rules well enough.

"I didn't recognise you at first," she said. "It was the hair which gave it away. You're not working today?"

"We're closed on a Wednesday," he said, making his own move. "I need at least one day a week off."

Cinder chuckled. "I suppose so. I heard you regained your sword."

"I hear I've got you to partly thank for that."

"So, Roman told you? It was a small trifle." Cinder placed a pawn in the way of one of his, and he took it quickly. He knew it was probably a trap, but he couldn't see how. His pawn was utterly safe. "Have there been any other attacks since the first?"

"Not that I know of. Things have been peaceful for a change."

"Hm. That's good."

Cinder never did take his pawn, continuing the game elsewhere without so much as a glance toward it. In time, he moved it on and the trade was forgotten. They played in companionable silence for a few minutes.

Eventually, Cinder spoke again, "You come from outside the city, don't you?"

"Yeah. A small village called Ansel. Did Roman tell you that?"

"He might have mentioned it. Does your family live there?"

"Yeah. Mom, Dad and seven sisters." He delighted in the momentary widening of her eyes. The number always caught people off-guard. "Yeah, seven. It's a big family."

"It certainly sounds it. Do you visit them often?"

"Well, not much… I only started working here a couple of months ago and things have been busy. My dad visited a couple of days ago, so I sent back a latter for my mom and sisters with him. I call occasionally, too."

"But it's not the same as seeing them in person."

Cinder brought her bishop forward to threaten his queen. Checking to make sure his King wouldn't be in danger and finding it not, Jaune moved the queen to safety.

"No. I guess it isn't."

"Do you intend to visit them?"

"Yeah, in time. When things are a little more settled."

"Hm." Cinder pushed again for his queen, forcing him to retreat over and over, until he could hide her behind his rook and a pawn, providing a shield Cinder would need to break through, and take losses in doing so. She backed away. "The Vytal Festival is beginning in a month or so. Have you made any plans surrounding that?"

"A few. There's going to be a lot more foot traffic, so I've applied to have seating outside in the sun. You should come and see it when it's up."

Cinder's hand paused over her queen. There was a long moment before she moved again. "I'll have to see if I can. The festival is a big event and I might be busy. It's not all it's cracked up to be, however. I'm surprised you don't hire an additional member of staff to help out and take the time off."

"At what's going to be the busiest time of the year?"

"It would let you afford someone to take your place. You could go and visit your family."

He wasn't sure he understood where the conversation was going or why. The Festival would be way too busy for him to take time off over, but he hummed a response anyway, mumbling that he'd consider it.

As for the game? It wasn't looking good. He and Cinder had lost the same number of pieces, but his remaining ones were trapped on his side of the board, huddled to the bottom left, while hers were spread out and in commanding positions.

And this was even with her promising to go easy on him? Sheesh.

"I think I've lost this one."

"In four turns, yes. Five if you make the right play on the third."

To show it, Cinder moved his pieces for him, showing a bizarre series of events in which he took her queen, but left his ranks open, allowing her rook to slip across the board and place his king in check one turn, and then checkmate with the aid of a bishop the turn after.

"It's been a long time since I played," he said.

"You weren't terrible. Your problem was an attachment to your stronger pieces, particularly your queen, and perhaps a reliance on numbers to judge who was winning." She tapped one of her taken pawns with a finger. "While each piece may be worth a given value, the game is ultimately not decided by points. Sometimes, it's better to trade a queen for a pawn. Sometimes, it's better to trade a pawn for no points at all."

"I thought it was a trap," he admitted. "I just couldn't see how you'd punish it."

"Because you were looking for a counter-attack. In reality, all I wanted was your pawn to step out of the middle-ground, to weaken your position on the central ground." She pointed to the four centre squares, which two of her pawns controlled. "In chess, the centre-ground is like controlling the high ground in real warfare. It interrupts all your attempts to cross through the centre and lets me control what you can and cannot do."

"I see." It sort of made sense and he could see the trap now that she explained it. Since his pawns could only move forward, if she allowed him to take one of hers and step _off_ the centre two lines, he couldn't move another back onto it. "I've heard people say chess is like warfare. Is that true?"

"Not as much as movies and books would like to pretend," Cinder said, snorting in clear dismissal. "War is complicated. Chess is a game of memory. None of the pieces have their own loyalty, motivations or limitations. Each player can see every move of the opponent, not to mention the moves are made in order and both sides are equal in strength and position."

"I guess it's not the same at all…"

"It's used in movies to make it clear the player is intelligent, to tell the audience they're smart _because_ they play chess. It's just a tool to explain who a character is without having to say it, often using visual cues. There are _some_ lessons which can apply to both," she admitted. "Such as positioning and the importance of a steady formation, or maybe even the importance of mobilising your stronger troops as quickly as possible to control the battleground." She gestured to the backline.

"If there is a lesson you can learn, it is the necessity of sacrificing your pieces for better positioning. They're not alive. They have no feelings. Sometimes, a pawn serves as nothing more than a block on your own rook. Get it killed so that you can move more freely."

In chess terms, that made perfect sense. "I hope no one in war thinks that way…"

Cinder laughed. "Like I said, chess and war are two different things."

"You know a lot about war."

"No more than any other person," she said with a half-shrug. "I like to read, and history is fascinating. There are real-life examples of people being sacrificed for the benefit of the whole. They don't call it such, and it doesn't always work out like that, but whenever a smaller force is sent to fight a larger one, it comes with the expectation that it will suffer. But if it can buy time for a victory to be won elsewhere, it's often seen as an acceptable trade."

"I can see the logic there, but…" He sighed. "I guess I'm glad I only have to worry about running a coffee shop. I don't think I'd make a good military commander."

"Not a bad thing, given what we just talked about. I don't think anyone will begrudge your unwillingness to sacrifice the lives of others." Cinder leaned her chin on one hand, elbow on the table. "It takes a very specific kind of person to be prepared to do that. To put aside any feelings they might have and work towards a goal to the exclusion of all else."

"I'm not sure I'd want to be that person…"

"Sometimes," Cinder said. "I'm not sure I would, either." She stood with a sigh, picking up the bottled water she'd brought with her. "Thank you for the game, Jaune. It was a… pleasant distraction."

"Same for me, and no problem. You should come around and visit sometime. You don't always have to rent a private room if you want a drink and a chat."

"I shall… That sounds nice. Thank you."

Cinder turned away with a soft smile and a nod. She took a few steps before she paused. She didn't look back, but she spoke, knowing he would hear.

"Consider what I said as well, Jaune. You should take some time off, and the Vytal Festival is not always something you want to see first-hand. It… It brings out the worst in people. Go back to Ansel and be with your family. Take a holiday."

This again?

"I'll consider it," he said.

Cinder nodded, paused for a second, and then walked away. She didn't look back, and Jaune was left wondering just why she kept pushing the issue. On the table before them, his king had been knocked down, but his queen remained standing.

Trapped and alone.

/-/

Pyrrha had been waiting all day for her chance to corner Russel. Wednesday was the best day, since Jaune had his day off, so the diner wasn't open. Miss Goodwitch had also personally warned her she wouldn't be pleased if Pyrrha skipped out again. Considering the teacher's stern nature, and the eye fixed on Pyrrha through the day, she thought it best not to test that.

And besides, Jaune would be around tomorrow and she could spend some time with him. One of Coco's biggest pieces of advice was not to push too hard, nor to try spending every moment of every day around her crush. Apart from coming off creepy and desperate, she'd also make him too used to her presence. Familiarity bred contempt and absence made the heart grow fonder.

Or, in its simplest terms, how was Jaune supposed to decide if he liked being around her if she never gave him the chance to _not_ be around her?

Coco was good at explaining things in a way that made sense.

 _Good to see Coco and Velvet back together, too,_ she thought, smiling at the pair. Coco caught her looking and swayed her butt from side to side with a teasing smile. Pyrrha laughed and waved back. Typical Coco.

Now, if only she could bounce back the spat between her and Russel in the same way, everything would be fine. Pyrrha had already broken the status quo by exchanging a few words with her other teammates that morning, which left them shocked, but tentatively willing to chat back about what their homework from Oobleck.

It was such a small thing, but they at least seemed willing to give her a chance. Then again, their relationship had always been… not cold. Just non-existent. They didn't talk and that was that. They all avoided one another as a result. It was her and Russel that were the main problems, with Russel choosing to avoid the issue by spending all his time with Cardin and Team CRSN.

It wasn't hard to spot them. Ren and Nora were side by side as ever, with Nora regaling him on some kind of dream she'd had. On the other side of the table, Cardin, Sky and Russel chatted away. Team CRSN might have looked as bad as her own team, but even if Nora and Cardin butted heads – and they really did – they were at least willing to argue it out afterwards. They did well on team tests and team combat simulations, mostly because Ren and Sky played mediators, each calming down their respective friend.

They were struggling, but they were _trying_ , which was more than Pyrrha had done with her team ever since Beacon started. Instead of arguing things out like Nora and Cardin, she just gave up, accepting that things were not only bad, but that they would never get better.

 _Well, that changes today._

At some point…

Probably when she could find a chance to talk to him away from his friends, _if_ she could find that chance. It might have been easier to corner him while he was at work, but then she'd be interfering with his job and that wasn't fair.

 _No, I need to talk to him in Beacon. No matter how difficult that is._

An opportunity was provided by Velvet, curiously enough. Though not in the way Pyrrha appreciated. Coco and Velvet were walking by lost in conversation, which meant neither noticed Cardin sticking a leg out. Pyrrha only did because she was watching.

Velvet, sadly, had no such hope. She fell with a shriek, dropping her tray and startling not only Coco, but everyone around her – including Russel. He spun on his seat but there was no hope of catching her and by the time he'd turned around, she was on her hands and knees, food scattered across the floor.

Cardin laughed, along with Sky and a few other people among the student body. Not all of them were racists, either. Some just laughed at the poor girl's misery.

Russel did not, Pyrrha noticed.

Coco didn't either, and immediately slammed her tray down on a nearby table, helping Velvet up with one hand before stalking toward Cardin. Velvet dragged her back, trying to stop her, and Cardin was no fool. Faced with the wrath of Coco, not to mention the critical glares from Ren and Nora, he stood, made some last-minute insult directed at Velvet, and walked away with a laugh.

Sky made to follow but hesitated when Nora met his eyes. Whatever went between them, Sky gulped and remained seated. Russel, however, stood and chased after Cardin, reaching him and leaving the cafeteria alongside him.

 _I thought Velvet said Russel wasn't like that. He doesn't show it well…_

Sure, he'd not tripped Velvet and obviously looked as surprised as Velvet did, but he could have shown some solidarity in not chasing after Cardin like that. Pyrrha stood and made to head over to Velvet, only to be waved off by Coco.

Instead, she left the cafeteria, appetite lost. Maybe this was a bad idea. She already had Coco and Velvet, not to mention Jaune and a few other regulars at his place. She didn't need to befriend Russel or make up with him, especially not if it was going to force her to pick between him and Velvet. A competition he would always lose.

Maybe this was for the best.

"- said you wouldn't do that!"

"What does it matter?"

"It _matters_ because you promised you'd stop!"

That sounded like Russel. Pyrrha drew a deep breath and slid over to the side, toward a turn in the corridor leading away from their next class and instead to the library. She didn't step around the corner but paused before it, breathing quietly.

 _Listening in like this is wrong,_ she thought.

So was what they did to Velvet.

Two wrongs might not make a right, but she felt they at least absolved her of some guilt. Pyrrha fiddled for her scroll as a few other students walked by, pretending for all the world like she was leaning on a wall reading a message. All the while, she strained to hear what Russel and Cardin were saying.

"Not worth your time, Russel."

"That's not your decision to make. I've told you I work with her."

"So what? She tells on you, I'll deal with her."

"That's not the point! I asked you to stop!"

"Alright, alright. Sheesh. You did, and I did. Not pulled her ears for weeks. Just saw an opportunity and acted without thinking about it." Cardin grumbled under his breath. "Sorry. Won't happen again."

"I'm not really the person you should be apologisin' to."

"Fuck that. I'm not talking to that animal!"

"Cardin…"

"Look, you've already asked a lot. Don't push it."

Russel sighed. "Fine. You know, I've told you a thousand times you're better than this, Cardin. You can be better."

"And I've told you a thousand _and one_ times that I don't see a problem. This is getting old, Russel. Leave it be."

"I just…" Russel hesitated. "Alright, I'll let it go. Just lay off, will you?"

"I will. Geez. I told you I acted without thinking. Not sure why you can't just let this go. If you don't like it so much, sit with them instead."

"It's because you're my friend."

"I know, I know." It was Cardin's turn to sigh. "You're a whiny bastard, but I guess I can put up with you. If you can with me."

"Of course. I owe you enough for that."

"You don't owe me shit, idiot." Cardin snapped out, suddenly irritated. "Don't act like you do." He calmed down immediately, or at least lowered his voice. He sounded exasperated. "Now come on, I need to finish up Oobleck's essay and I _know_ you haven't gotten started on it either. If I fail another one of his quizzes, the animal-loving bastard will have me in detention."

Pyrrha hid behind a pillar as the two men came back around, walking past her without really noticing her presence. As their chatter turned to more inane subjects like class, girls and comics, Pyrrha leaned against the pillar and considered what she'd overheard. No, what she'd eavesdropped on. Might as well not lie about it.

Russel wasn't as okay with Cardin's behaviour as he let on, and yet he still stayed with him.

And what was this about owing him?

* * *

 **Whooo, symbolism, chess games and secrets. Things and stuff.**

 **I'm sure there will be some people chomping at the bit to tell me off for** _ **daring**_ **to suggest chess isn't high strategy. After all, some of the most famous games are between people like Napoleon Bonaparte and other famous Generals.**

 **And yes, chess can help with critical thinking, but it still falters as an actual war simulation game. It's often just about memorising good openings and learning how to play various segments of the game, with even one of the more famous games between Bonaparte and another General just being a trick game in which Bonaparte purposefully got all his pawns slaughtered early so that he could bring out his back line and trap the opponent in checkmate while his king was stuck behind his own pawns.**

 **Clever, but not exactly military strategy. Other than in a metaphorical "Use your best units" kind of sense. But then, most armies don't have their best troops trapped behind useless ones they can't walk through or around, lol.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 4** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	28. Chapter 28

**You know, while I'm sure it's a minority who thought so, it's a little weird at how many people last chapter seemed to think Cinder had romantic interest in Jaune. She literally played chess with him, made a small effort to tell him to leave and be safe and then mentioned how sacrifices had to be made and hinted she would make them if required.**

 **That's hardly romance, or any interest in it. It's pity, included with a little warning of "But I will kill you if I have to. I'm only giving you one chance to leave."**

 **A girl talking to a guy does not mean sexual interest.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 28**

* * *

There had been rumours of this place. This, _Jaune's_. They filtered down through those he associated with, reaching his ears with the kind of regularity that ensured it could not be ignored. It was not what his associates normally appreciated; no alcoholic beverages or scantily-clad women. But that was fine. He despised those transient pleasures himself.

Even so, when he first laid eyes on the glass-fronted store with the frosted symbol of a cup of steaming coffee on the front, he not find himself overly impressed. Stores like this were a lien a dozen and he'd crossed one such on the way here, not five doors down.

The bell above the door tinkled as he stepped inside. His hand flew to his hip, released softly a second later as he recalled he was without his weapon, and not here to cause problems.

Though not, of course, completely unarmed. Never that. He had a long-bladed knife hidden on his person, and his fists would be enough for anyone foolish enough to try their luck. Such was not expected, though. It was a cold and misty day, so the black hoodie he wore was not looked at unfavourably. It hid his hair, but also the distinctive animal traits that might attract the wrong sort of attention.

"Welcome to Jaune's," a polite and airy voice chirped, a young faunus sliding by with a tray in one hand and a small smile on her face. A rabbit faunus by the ears. He took her in quickly, noting the workload she'd been given and subtly comparing it to the other _human_ employee. Only when he saw that both worked a similar load did he return her pleasantry with a nod and find a seat for himself.

All too often faunus were given the worst of tasks. Why not? Desperation bred manipulation and there were so many who refused to hire faunus. Some for their own prejudices, some out of fear of what those _with_ prejudices might do to their establishments. Even when they were hired, it was not uncommon for them to work in the back of a store, out of sight, out of mind.

Of course, if that had been the case then he doubted this venue would have come so highly recommended. Not by _his_ associates.

Sitting, he scanned the room once and on seeing no familiar faces, reached up and drew his hood back, revealing short red hair and two black horns nestled among it. Adam Taurus centred himself with a quick sigh, eyes snapping left and right as he judged the public reaction. As a faunus, you learned to do that early on.

There was a table nearby – man and a woman – who stiffened the moment his horns were revealed. They tried not to, tried to look away and not pay attention, but their shoulders were rigid. Accidental racists, then. Or reluctant ones. Pitiable, but not quite as detestable as the two girls in the corner who sneered in his direction. A cough sounded from nearby and the two girls froze, suddenly looking to the male waiter, the human waiter, who was fixing them with a warning look.

So, the rumours were true. No discrimination allowed. Adam allowed a small, amused smile to creep across his face. Less in genuine pleasure for finding such an establishment, but his own subtle enjoyment of the racists' squirming. He half-wished they would make a scene of it. The waiter – both of them, on second glance – were huntsman-trained, probably Beacon. Adam would not even have to raise a hand to see those two girls dealt with.

There were quite a few locations in Vale where prejudice against the faunus was outlawed, either by legal precedent or rules of the establishment, but those were often in word only and poorly enforced. Had the Kingdoms stuck to their laws, the White Fang might not be a thing, but those in power ever found ways to skirt their own rules. The simple fact of the matter was that even if someone who ran a store held no prejudice, they could not step in and enforce the same on their customers. Not without risking prosperity, reprisal or just their own health.

Not everyone hired directly from Beacon. Adam found himself amused to realise that a meagre _coffee diner_ did.

"Morning," a male voice said from beside him. There was a young man beside him, blond hair and blue eyes. Adam noted that the individual had managed to sneak up on him without his instincts providing any warning. At first, he imagined it was because the man was a trained assassin, but he soon realised it was because he was no threat at all.

Gangly, awkward, the early signs of confidence, but not arrogance – mostly revolving around coffee, Adam would have guessed. Despite working here, the man didn't have a coffee stain on his outfit. It might have spoken of lack of effort, but the subtle signs of fatigue spoke otherwise. Besides, Adam had spotted him behind the counter mixing coffee like cocktails the moment he stepped into the building.

"You Jaune?" he asked.

"Yep. Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you."

"Adam," he replied, looking for any recollection. There was none. Adam was, after all, a fairly innocuous name, and he'd come unmasked for obvious reasons. "And the pleasure is mine. Do you normally come serve customers directly?"

"When I'm able to. It was only me here a month or so back. I had to hire Russel and Velvet-" Jaune pointed each out for Adam, as though he could not guess by the names, "-when I had a bit of an accident and had to take things easy."

"I see. They continue to work for you, then."

"Honestly, I'm not sure I can imagine doing all this without them anymore."

"It does seem unusually busy here," Adam noted. It wasn't even ten and there were few tables remaining.

"It's not normally like this. Not before Beacon lets out, anyway. It's the Vytal Festival, though. A lot of people come from afar and they don't have anything to do once they're here. Seeing the sights can only take you so far. I'd bet less than a tenth of the people here right now even live in Vale. Are you here for the festival, too?"

"I am," Adam said, chuckling a little. Oh, he was here for the festival alright. "I'll take a Four Peaks Black," he said, reading off the menu. "Do you have any ginger?"

"Of course."

"Then a little of that, please."

"No problem," Jaune said, writing it down.

When the man left, Adam drummed his fingers on the table. The diverse menu was a pleasant bonus and it had been a while since he'd been in Mistral, where Four Peaks was more commonly available. He could see why some of his men came here.

 _He mentioned Beacon, though. I shall have to be careful not to come outside of school time. If Blake were to see me…_

Not for the first time, Adam felt the pain echo in his chest. It always did when he thought of her, and so he tried his best not to. Tried to erase her from his life like she had him from hers. Her actions had made her desires clear, had they not?

It was difficult. Not just for what they'd been through together or how much they'd lost and loved, but because she was, by her own actions, a traitor. There was protocol for that. Protocol he could not seek to change for his own whims and desires.

 _Curse your bleeding heart, Blake. Could you not have ended things before the train? You knew we weren't attacking it to sell cupcakes to the drivers._

But no. Blake had her change of heart at the _worst_ of times, and now he would be expected to kill her. Or reclaim her, but he knew how stubborn she could be. If they fought, it would be to the death. The look she'd given him made it clear she thought him a monster.

Ironic, since she was just as guilty as he. They had joined together. Fought together. Descended into darkness together. They were _responsible_ for this, both of them. And yet _he_ was the monster and she the saint. Well, he'd always been aware of Blake's little faults. Wonderful woman that she could be, she was not without them, and the odd bout of hypocrisy rarely came as a surprise.

 _No. Don't think about her. It will only lead to misery._

Fortunately, Jaune came back with a steaming mug that smelled of ginger, musky coffee and chocolate. The latter was a tray balanced on one wrist, which he gently laid on a table he passed. The woman there, easily eighty years old, dug into the chocolate cake slice happily.

"Here you are," Jaune said, placing the saucer and mug down before Adam. "If you need anything more, just let one of us know."

"I shall. Thank you." Adam lifted the mug when Jaune left and sipped at it. The blend was good, perfect almost. The heavy taste of Four Peaks was not for everyone. Too strong, too pungent some might say. Adam appreciated the caffeine content, not to mention the _kick_. Needed it for his kind of work.

Still, this was not an unpleasant distraction, and much like the other customers here today, Adam had nothing to do but wait for the festival.

/-/

"It's like Port is _trying_ to see how many of us he can put to sleep."

"I agree," Weiss said, sighing. "At first, I thought he was hiding his lessons in his long-winded stories, looking for those with the insight to see the lesson hidden within. But after months of this, I've decided that is nothing but wishful thinking on my part."

"In non-Weiss speak," Yang said. "He's a bore."

"Ouch, sounds bad," Jaune said, placing out a cake platter for them. He smiled as the four members of Team RWBY dove in, choosing their favoured miniature cakes. Blake and Weiss had once been too reserved for the melee, but now gathered their own and put them on plates before them, knowing that to delay was to risk Yang and Ruby scarfing the whole lot.

"You're actually – hmm – lucky," Ruby said, mouth half-full. "Not having to go to school."

"I go to work instead, Ruby. It's the same hours. More, in fact."

"Yeah, but you get _paid_ for it."

True. Jaune shrugged and laughed as Ruby shot him a betrayed glare. He didn't actually _spend_ much of his money, because apart from wages, rent and everything else, he just didn't have the spare time for it, but it was still nice to see the numbers in his bank account go up. Relaxing, even. That might have just been because it took away the stress and fear he'd first had when starting out.

"You'll get paid in time," he said. "How does a huntress earn money anyway?"

"Same way a huntsman does," Yang teased.

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Now what I meant."

"It's a mixed bag," Weiss answered, ever willing to explain. "There are Government subsidies that pay a huntsman or huntress just for existing and being active. Then there are set tasks, missions or relief efforts – which are usually volunteer-based and carry their own set rewards, split amongst however many go. It's not unusual for huntsmen to find additional employment, though, either in teaching like the professors, or even mercenary work."

"Mercenaries…?"

"Against Grimm," Weiss assured me, and a suddenly worried Ruby. "Defending important locations, clearing out an area of Grimm or escorting a transport. I'm hardly saying huntsmen are criminals on the side."

"Though some are," Blake said tartly. "Torchwick springs to mind."

"Y-Yeah," Jaune laughed. "I've heard of him."

"You should be careful and keep an eye out for him," Ruby said earnestly. "He wouldn't think twice about robbing a place like this."

Or, you know, the old thief wouldn't think twice of coming in to order a mocha late at night and leave frankly staggering tips. If Ruby was worried he'd be robbed by Roman, she had it the wrong way around. _He_ was robbing Roman with tips like that.

"I think I'll be okay. He and the White Fang are hitting dust stores anyway. The only dust I have here is what runs the coffee machines. They're fairly economic."

"That reminds me," Weiss said, "My sister will be coming to Vale soon to meet Ruby and my team. I was wondering if we might bring her here, and whether you could reserve a large table for us. Preferably one with a little room. Winter is… peculiar on her tastes and I'd like to bring her somewhere where she won't have to settle for less."

"Uh, sure. That's fine. When?"

"A day or two. I shall call in advance."

"How did coffee machines remind you of your sister?" Yang drawled.

"The mentions of dust, you dolt. Schnee. Dust. Get it?"

"I'm not an idiot, Weiss."

"Well, don't ask stupid questions and I won't have to give you a stupid answer."

"So, you admit it was a stupid answer?"

"What!? No, I-"

Jaune smiled and tuned out the familiar bickering, rolling his eyes at Blake when she smirked and sipped at her coffee. Four Peaks Black, a blend only one other person recently asked for. It was hardly anyone's favourite – too distinctive a taste – and yet that made two faunus now who enjoyed it. What were the odds?

As Yang and Weiss got further into the insult match – moving from IQ to hair colour and now breast size of all things – Jaune noted the front door opening, and an elderly man entering with an anxious expression. The man had greying hair, thick-rimmed glasses and a corduroy jacket. He spotted Jaune and hurried over, smiling awkwardly.

"Mr Binns."

"Hullo Jaune." Mr Binns said. "Good to see things are going well. Good indeed. I was worried when I heard about Café Prime setting up nearby, buy you've not let that hold you down. No sir."

Jaune realised the girls had stopped arguing and were now watching curiously. Feeling a little flustered, he gestured to them. "This is Frank Binns," he explained. "He owns the building here, both the shop and my apartment. I rent it from him. This is Team RWBY, some of my customers and a team from Beacon."

The girls all said some polite greetings, with Frank returning them with a kindly – if nervous – smile. "Wonderful to see children your age getting out and socialising. Oh yes, simply wonderful. And look after Jaune, hm? He's a great young man. Very enterprising, and never late on payments. Not once. Perfect tenant as far as I'm concerned."

The praise was making him feel nervous, "Is something wrong, Frank? Did my cheque bounce? Do you need me to pay an advance on the next month? I can, but you'll have to let me contact the bank first."

"No, no, nothing like that." Frank wrung his hands together. "Like I said, always on time and a great tenant. And I don't need an advance, Jaune. I… I won't from you anymore. You see… I don't really know how to say it, but… I've had to sell the building, Jaune."

The news was like a sucker punch to the gut. He placed one hand down on Team RWBY's table, more for the support than anything.

"W-What?"

"I didn't have much of a choice, Jaune. You know my missus is getting on in her years and, well, we want to travel, see the world," Frank hurried to say, "When the offer came. Well, it was far above market value. Very far. Almost _twice_ what the property is really worth. We couldn't say no, Jaune, please understand."

"I- well, sure…" He'd known about their circumstances, of course. He couldn't really blame them. "I guess what's done is done. When is it changing hands?"

"Two weeks from now, my boy. The paperwork only went through today and my Maureen said I had to tell you soon as, so here I am."

"I appreciate it, Frank. I mean, it's not like too much changes, right? A new owner is just that. I'll still be able to run Jaune's from down here." The fact Frank wouldn't meet his eyes frightened him. "Won't I…?"

"Jaune, you have to believe me. I told the buyer all about you. Sung your praises. Told them you're a real good tenant, a real keeper. Said they'd be a fool to try and shift you. But… They want the shop, Jaune. They want it real bad. I don't know why, but it has to be this one."

"What?" Ruby asked, sounding more hurt than even he did. Coming from a girl so young, the word made Frank cringe even harder. "But that's not fair. Jaune was here first. The diner is _everything_ to him."

"I-I know, my dear. Believe me. I tried my hardest to fight for you, Jaune. I really did. Maureen did, too. Bless her heart. But we can't turn down this offer. It's double the market value."

"Who would pay that much for a place like this?" Weiss asked. "The location isn't that great, and any footfall generated here is because of Jaune and his work here, not the location itself. Who could possibly think it worth it to pay so much just for this storefront?"

"His name's Alexander," Frank said. "Alexander Sterling."

Jaune laughed bitterly.

Of course…

"I know that name," Yang said, trying to recall it.

Weiss did so easily, "Café Prime."

"Again!?" Yang growled. "How determined are these guys?"

Determined enough. Jaune wanted to go up to his room but doubted he'd make it as far as the staircase, let alone up it. He rocked in place, and Ruby stood quickly, taking his shoulders and guiding him down into her seat. That was just like her, really. So kind. So sweet. He tried to smile for her, but it came out weak and fragile.

He'd been a fool to think things were calming down with Café Prime. He'd thought after they worked together and made a deal, so they could both have seating areas outside, that they'd come to peace, or at least a ceasefire.

 _I should have known better. They sicced thugs on me. Attacked me. Why would they let this go now?_

And in the end, they'd won. Hadn't they…? He couldn't compete his way out of the building being purchased. Not unless he wanted to try and buy it himself, which was so far out of his budget as to be laughable. Buildings in the middle of Vale weren't cheap. Most people rented the places they lived, especially in the city. Only the rich and famous could afford to actually own something. To pay twice the value? Well, that answered the question of whether this was _just_ Sterling or the whole company. No way he had that much money of his own just lying around.

He was out. They were going to kick him out.

"How long do I have…?"

"Month and a half," Frank said. "Two weeks until it's handed over and then they _have_ to give you four-week notice. It's the law."

Not that Sterling had cared much about the law before. It would be foolish to think he would now. There were probably loopholes and he'd have to watch out for those. Maybe Sterling would send more thugs in to make a mess, frame him, and then say he could end the contract early because Jaune was causing property damage.

Hell. Even if he didn't, it wouldn't matter. In six weeks, he'd be out.

Just before the Vytal Festival, too.

Hilarious…

"Why do they have to do this?" Ruby protested. "Why can't they just compete with him fairly!?"

"Because being _fair_ is expensive and time-consuming," Weiss said. "It could take them years to oust Jaune normally, and that's not to mention the possibility he not only survives but beats them at their own game. If he expands, they'd have to fight on multiple fronts. Easier just to buy him out."

"I-I told Sterling I wouldn't sell…"

Weiss nodded sympathetically, "In which case, they'll simply force you out…"

Ruby slammed her hands down on the table, "That's not right!"

"Nothing is right in business, Ruby. It's the harshest battlefield and there are fewer rules than genuine war. Money makes for troops, capital for weapons. Jaune facing Café Prime was always like Patch trying to take over Remnant. They – and Jaune – just don't have the resources."

"So, what?" Blake asked. "He gives up? Sells up?"

"That's his decision. He could relocate. He's proven he can be successful and as Mr Binns says, it would take a foolish landlord not to accept him, even on credit. News will spread of him moving and the customers will return. He'll lose some," she said, wincing. "That's inevitable. But he might gain more in the new area."

"Until Sterling buys that out, too," Jaune said.

Weiss sagged. "Yes. Until that…"

Because if he'd shown willingness to do it once, then there was little to stop him doing it again. And again. And again, and however many times he needed to. Sure, Café Prime's resources would wear thin eventually, but property held its value and how many times did they really _need_ to keep him moving to cripple him? He'd bleed customers from all the relocating, not to mention they'd have him hobbled when the Vytal Festival came around. He'd miss out on the biggest attraction to hit Vale in years. Then there would be the legal fees of all the moving. Changing his tax forms. Bank details. The moving costs of heavy machinery. Inevitable damage…

All added up, it would be the end of him.

When Russel and Velvet came over to see what was wrong, Jaune couldn't meet their eyes. Couldn't tell them the truth, couldn't face it. He mumbled something to Frank and Team RWBY. An excuse, thanks, apologies, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that he needed to be alone.

In the sanctity of his apartment, or his apartment for a month and a half anyway, Jaune Arc wept bitter, bitter tears.

/-/

Russel and Velvet got the story from Team RWBY, recounting it as best they could until a full picture was made. The six of them sat, heads lowered, hands clenched into fists. Other customers sat silent as well. Even if they hadn't heard everything, no one had missed Jaune's retreat, nor the look on his face.

No one dared ask for a refill.

"What do we do now?" Ruby asked.

"What can we do?" Velvet said. "I'll keep working for him, even if we have to move shops."

"Not sure that'll be good enough," Russel said. "It's not an issue about losing us – we can commute to wherever we need to. The issue is Café Prime pushing Jaune out of business. Even if this wouldn't do it on its own it sends a clear message. What we can do once, we can do as many times as needed."

"Can't you help him, Weiss?"

"I'm not _that_ rich, Ruby. My father could buy this place a hundred times over, but I burned some bridges even coming to Beacon. There's no way he would agree to this. And no, my allowance may seem large, but it can't cover what must be a quarter of a million lien."

"So, this is it," Yang said. "He has to move."

"Or sell up," Russel said. "You see the look on his face? It was defeated."

"But if he sells, he won't have any reason to stay in Vale," Ruby whimpered.

"Would you want to, after being driven out of business like this?"

"No, but… isn't there something we can do?" The latter came from Velvet, who looked about as broken up as she ever had before. The faunus was biting her lip. For all that work was exhausting and the money wasn't astounding, she _enjoyed_ doing what she did. She didn't want it to end. None of them did.

"I think our hands are tied," Weiss said. "Unless one of us can somehow muster up the finances to _outbid_ Café Prime and even then, it might be too late. It sounds like the paperwork has already been signed."

"So, that's it, then?" Ruby said. "It's over."

Blake looked up. "Not necessarily…"

"Blake?"

"We all want to stop this from happening, correct?" Blake waited for them each to nod. "Well, I doubt we're the only ones. Jaune may have given up, but we don't have to. And frankly, we're looking at things wrong. We keep trying to see how we can beat Café Prime in a fair fight. Well, why should we? They're not offering Jaune – _us_ – a fair fight."

"For once in your life, Blake, don't advocate _coffee-based terrorism_ as a solution here."

"I didn't mean it like that! I meant that we need to fight fire with fire. We, Jaune, can't beat Café Prime if he fights normally. They have resources, money and manpower. But big groups like that have weaknesses, too. The same weaknesses the SDC have."

It was Weiss who caught on first, "Public perception…"

"Exactly. And if Alexander Sterling is willing to go this far to take out an innocent guy running a little coffee joint? Well, that's not something a big brand like Café Prime would want to get out now, is it?"

Team RWBY, Russel and Velvet were silent.

"What do you have in mind…?"

/-/

"I'm furious, Winter. Absolutely furious."

Weiss Schnee was someone prone to a loss of temper. Most of Beacon knew that. It wasn't unusual to see or hear her arguing with her team, usually her partner, but today was different. Weiss Schnee was on her scroll to someone, pacing in the hallways outside her dorm and perilously close to a common room. As was often the case in Beacon, when gossip was spilled into the water, the sharks would gather. As it was, few would be surprised to notice the inhabitants of the common room sitting silent, listening in, more out of morbid curiosity over what had upset Weiss Schnee _this time_ than any real interest.

"I know there's nothing that can be done; that is precisely what has me so angry. Jaune's is a minor coffee shop. It's a favourite haunt of most Beacon students – not to mention the professors. To hear they're going to close it down…? I can't believe it!"

There was a hushed whisper in the common room, along with a few worried glances exchanged. Though not everyone drank coffee or cared to stay out in Vale, it was no exaggeration to say everyone knew someone who either did or knew someone else who did. Even failing that, most knew the name at least.

"Yes, Café Prime – yes, the big chain. You won't believe what they've done, Winter! It's… it's frankly detestable!"

The onlookers leaned in. Even if they didn't care for themselves, each figured they knew someone who might be interested.

After all, this sounded juicy.

/-/

"Where am I going to find a place to work that doesn't discriminate against me?" Velvet said, already half-naked and on the way to getting changed after a sweaty workout in Miss Goodwitch's Class. Coco stood beside her, rocking some designer underwear and _definitely_ making it work. As usual.

The duo often drew attention in the changing room solely for that. Whatever Coco wore, you could rest assured would be mainstream fashion in a few days. She was always ahead. But to hear Velvet sound so distraught? That drew additional attention today.

"Tell me if they do and I'll pay them a visit, Bun-Bun."

"You can't beat up everyone who tries to be prejudiced, Coco."

"Can and will."

Several faunus classmates nodded happily. Coco was well known as being… well, a faunus-sympathiser wasn't the right word, since Coco didn't offer sympathies, she offered _action_. Usually delivered at the end of her heels. Whatever it was, there wasn't a faunus in Beacon who disliked Coco. At least not seriously.

"It's just… Jaune and Russel defended me against racists. Russel fought them off and Jaune banned them from ever returning. And now Café Prime is going to force him out, and we all know they couldn't care less about discrimination. They just want money."

More grumbles around the changing rooms. Such was unfortunately common nowadays. A few faunus, however, likely having tried to get work with Café Prime or having worked with them in the past, nodded along with Velvet.

"We'll think of something, Coco. I swear."

"I hope so…" Velvet said mournfully. She sniffed, and suddenly everyone in the changing room flinched in horror. Luckily, Velvet didn't cry, and thus the Coco-based apocalypse was avoided, but it was a close call.

One thing was for sure, when everyone was changed, there were more than a few grumbles about Café Prime's unscrupulous business practices. Oddly enough, Velvet's poor mood seemed to have evaporated too.

/-/

"Pretty sure you're not welcome here."

Yang smirked and pulled out a stool. "Pretty sure I told you to call me `sir`. Looks like we're all being forgetful today. Don't worry, I'll let it go."

"Mouthy as ever." Junior sighed and turned around, frowning at Yang. A few of his men had approached from behind but he warned them off with a shake of the head. No one had forgotten what happened last time. "What are you here for, Blondie? Don't make me call the twins. Neither of us needs the hassle."

"Say, Junior, you're an information broker, right?"

"Mhm." Junior narrowed his eyes at her. "But only to people who try and pay with _money_ and not ball-grabbing and casual violence."

"So, you _buy_ information too, right?"

"Occasionally." Junior snorted and turned away. "Not from you, though."

"Not even for the low-low price of a Strawberry Sunrise?"

"I doubt you'd have anything to interest me."

"Shame." Yang ran her finger in circles on the counter, all too aware of the Malachite twins closing in on her. She waited until they were close enough to hear before she spoke, "So, you wouldn't care to hear that Café Prime have found a way to shut Jaune's down?"

Junior's hand flinched. He knocked a bottle off his cocktail counter, sending it to the floor. It crashed loudly, and to Yang's amusement even the _DJ_ stopped playing. The twins? Well, they'd gone very, _very_ still.

Yang's Cheshire smile morphed into a vicious grin.

"So, how about that sunrise?"

/-/

Pyrrha drew a deep breath and paused outside her dorm. Yet again her confidence had failed her, leaving her hiding away from another chance to confront Russel before he left to work the day at Jaune's. So many times now, she'd planned to talk to him. In the morning, in class, at lunch, and every time she'd chickened out.

 _This was easier in my head._

No more. If she didn't talk to him now, she never would. Pyrrha steeled herself, knowing Russel was inside. Even if this went badly, even if he refused to talk to her at all, she would be able to say she'd tried to fix this. She would be able to move on.

Pyrrha forced the door open.

And found Russel already sat on her bed, "There you are," he said, irritated. "Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for you?"

"E-Eh? What?"

"You," he said, standing. "Pyrrha Nikos. Partner, teammate, you know, person who sleeps in the same dorm as me? I know we've not talked much but I assume you _do_ have eyes. Or is the Invincible Girl so invincible she doesn't need them?"

"No," she said. "I do need them, I mean. I have eyes." Pyrrha cursed a second later as she realised how asinine that sounded. Of course, he'd been sarcastic. "Sorry. Y-You wanted to talk to me? I didn't know you were waiting."

Nor did she know why he looked so pissed. Had he found out about her eavesdropping on him and Winchester?

Russel met her eyes, "Jaune has lost. Café Prime are going to put him out of business in six weeks."

Pyrrha gasped. All thoughts of being found out fled, along with her guilt and all the angst that built up during the day. She swayed and would have fallen if not for the door behind her. Pyrrha fell back against it, eyes wide. "How?"

"They bought the property. They're pushing him out."

"C-Can't he just move?"

"They'll do it again and again. Until he's crushed by the costs of relocating and has to sell. They've got the money. They can afford to hold on to the properties and sell them again once this is all done with."

"That… That's horrible! Disgusting!"

"It is," Russel said. "So, I know we've not talked much. Or gotten on. But wanna do a team-building exercise?"

"Eh?" That was a little random, even for Russel. The sudden shift, and his smile, had her on edge. "Um, I-I guess? What were you thinking?"

"Crushing the reputation of an international coffee chain."

Ah, now she understood.

Pyrrha's lips curled into a smile.

"That sounds _grand_. What do you have in mind, partner?"

/-/

Glynda Goodwitch pinched the bridge of her nose between her finger and thumb, fighting of the onset of a headache and pushing her glasses back up her nose as she did. With the Vytal Festival so close, she felt she had reason to be stressed.

If only her stress had anything to do about that.

Complaint after complaint. Arguments in the hallways. People coming to _her_ and asking if the rumours were true. What rumours, one might ask? Why the rumours about a sodding coffee shop in Vale, naturally.

Because _of course_ they'd decide to come to her about that. Who else could decide what businesses lived and died in the city other than her? Sure, she'd just fit that in between combat class, marking homework and handling _every_ bit of damned paperwork the school needed in order to keep running.

Okay, she was perhaps a little stressed.

Just a little.

Ozpin was not at his desk when the elevator doors opened. Glynda didn't panic, however. He was stood by the window, cane on the ground and a mug in his other hand, looking out over the school and, in the distance, the city of Vale.

He often did. Too much weighed on his shoulders, and with all of the things he had been through, it was sometimes necessary to stop and remind himself of why he fought. That was the reason he had given her, anyway.

Glynda paused a respectable distance behind him and cleared her throat. When his eyes left the window and met those of her reflection and nodded, she stepped forward to stand beside him. Ozpin took a long sip of coffee.

"Reminiscing again, Ozpin?"

"Just reminding myself of why we fight. What monsters lay out there."

"Hm." Glynda adjusted her clipboard and papers. The forms could wait for now. This moment of peace was worth it. "The Grimm," she said, "Torchwick. The ones who attacked Amber..."

"Café Prime," Ozpin added.

"Café Prime," Glynda agreed, "Salem. They are all-"

Glynda paused. Something was wrong there, she felt. Very wrong. It took her a minute to run back over the conversation and when she found what it was, she brought her hand back up. Pinch went the bridge of her nose. Boom-Boom-Boom went the pulsing headache.

"Ozpin, no."

"So much evil, Glynda. How can one coffee chain contain so much evil?"

* * *

 **How, indeed? You know, there is a whole lot of stupid sabotage like this in business. It's kind of pathetic. We have competitor magazines who barely print anything, lie, and have even claimed to** _ **be**_ **me in conversations to my own clients. They've been caught out time and time again, but it doesn't matter, because if you get them in trouble they close down and re-open under a new name within a month or two.**

 **But we've had bigger rivals try to pressure and buy us, too. Had one contact one of the big shows we do and basically try to offer them free advertising if the show would BLACKLIST us from it, damaging our revenue at the cost of a few pages in their magazine.**

 **I even got investigated by UK Trading Standards for misleading our customers and involved in an investigation which wasted like, two months of my time, all because a competitor pretended to** _ **be**_ **a customer and complain I'd lied to them.**

 **Had to prove our figures (readership and circulation) were accurate by providing printer records. It came out fine, we were granted a clean bill of health, but they still got away with it because they** _ **can**_ **complain and it's** _ **our**_ **duty to prove innocence.**

 **Lost count of how many rivals have tried to sue us, too, or accuse us of plagiarism. Got one back recently because they tried to claim we copied a story off their site and the story included a quote FROM me. Because my journalist was on holiday, so I went and did the sodding interview with the head of this university department. The story was mine because I bloody went and did it.**

 **So yeah, shit like this isn't even unrealistic. But it would be more vicious, and too low-key for this. Think health inspectors sent into Jaune's kitchens constantly, or his suppliers being pressured into raising prices. Stuff that** _ **would**_ **be bad but would be super boring to read or write on because no one (Team RWBY and friends) would be able to see it happening.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 18** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	29. Chapter 29

**Random note; I know there have been a load of people PMing me about random stuff this month, but as I may have mentioned on other fics, September is my kryptonite due to work. Please don't assume no response is an insult.**

 **I've barely even had the time to look at my own forum. God knows what shipping wars they've gotten up to in my absence.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 29**

* * *

Alexander Sterling stepped out of the chauffer-driven car and onto the sidewalk, ready to face the day ahead. His tailored suit was in perfect condition, his shoes buffed to shine and his tie in a perfectly even and tightened knot. Freshly shaved and with his hair immaculate, Sterling looked towards his latest expansion onto Walker Street and froze.

The smile, carefully cultivated and practised, slipped from his face.

"Mr Sterling, Mr Sterling!" Lisa Lavender called, approaching with a microphone. The smile on her face might have been better placed on a Shark Grimm mere seconds before it dragged its prey down into the deep. "What comment do you have on the allegations that Café Prime has used its influence and power to bully out smaller competitors?"

"Excuse me…?"

"We have evidence here that you purchased the lot out of a competitor and are forcing them to move. Do you believe these business practises speak to the core values of Café Prime as a brand?" A more provocative question, Lisa Lavender could not have asked. She held the microphone towards him with the clear knowledge anything he'd say would cause a shitstorm.

Alexander coughed and fiddled with the cuffs of his sleeves instead. "I'm afraid I have no knowledge of the comments you speak of. Café Prime is a family-friendly business and has been a staple of Vale's dining and entertainment scene for over thirty years. We take our brand, and our responsibilities, very seriously."

"So, you refute the allegations?"

"Without seeing them, I cannot fully comment at this time," he said, erring on the side of caution. "But the suggestion we would use untoward means to damage a competitor is, with all due respect, absurd. This is a smear campaign and nothing more. Unprovoked and unsubstantiated. I would question the one involved, but they have no doubt kept their identity hidden, as befits cowa-"

"Actually, they haven't," Lisa said. "They've been quite open."

The Arc boy, then. He was playing with things he didn't understand if he thought he could get away with this. Alexander's smile turned both charismatic and cruel. His voice was laced with condescension, and a little sarcasm. "Well, if the person in question wants to discuss these matters with me directly, I'd be more than happy to. We at Café Prime have nothing to hide and, if forced, will not be above bringing the full strength of our legal teams to the fore. We will not take slanderous accusations on our good name."

"You're calling them liars, then?"

"Yes."

"One more question, Mr Sterling," Lisa said – and it was the smile she wore that warned him he'd miscalculated somewhere. Or that she knew something he did not. "How do you expect the SDC will respond to your hard words?"

"E-Excuse me?"

"The SDC," Lisa repeated, as if explaining it to a small child. "It was Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the SDC who made these accusations, after all. It would be the Schnee family you'd be bringing all these legal teams towards."

Alexander Sterling paled.

/-/

Café Prime Crosses the Line.

Café Prime, Coffee with Crime?

When Big Business Goes Bad.

Vale's leading newspapers were having fun with the headlines this morning, Weiss thought, barely hiding her smile as she flitted through each, handing them to Ruby once she was done. Her partner normally avoided newspapers like Yang did a pair of scissors, but today marked an exception. Ruby practically shuddered with delight as she read each article with intense scrutiny.

"Yesss," Ruby murmured. "Yesss…"

"If you start cackling, I'll kick you out the room," Yang warned.

"It's all coming together!"

"Right. You were warned."

Weiss ignored the two siblings as they scuffled and wrestled, Yang being by far the stronger but Ruby biting, kicking and tugging on Yang's hair, proving herself far more vicious. It was a common enough scene that Weiss lifted her coffee cup off the table before two crashed into it and didn't even bat an eye as she sipped at and put it back down on the floor beside her.

"This is fast even for the media," Blake said, taking a seat on the carpet opposite her. "It's been what, two days? I'd have thought it would take them a little longer to start paying attention."

"Jaune has friends in high places, it seems." Weiss considered for a moment. "Or Café Prime has enemies in such. It would not be hard to imagine with how they do things. How is Jaune doing with all of this?"

"I asked Pyrrha earlier who asked Velvet," Blake said. "Apparently, he's mostly in the dark. He's defeated and sluggish, but he never reads the news. He doesn't have the time for it with how early he wakes up. You think we should show him?"

"No. I'd rather have something a little more concrete first. It wouldn't do to get his hopes up. If possible, I don't want to involve him at all. It would look bad on him to get involved."

"Let Café Prime be the ones shouting, arguing and looking like children?" Blake guessed, grinning.

"Exactly."

"I saw Pyrrha and Russel heading out of Beacon together yesterday."

Weiss glanced up. "Do we need to stage an intervention?"

"I don't think so… They were actually chatting. And rubbing their hands together."

Weiss considered that for a moment and considered whether she should be the one to ask whether it was Russel or Pyrrha who had been brainwashed, before, in the end, she decided it wasn't her business to sort _that_ mess out. She had enough problems with her own team. At that moment, Weiss raised her mug off the floor once more, allowing Yang and Ruby to wrestle their way between them once more.

Blake sighed. "Breakfast? Leave them behind?"

"You read my mind."

/-/

"You know, this is what I wanted to avoid," Pyrrha said.

"What?" Russel asked.

"The stares." She indicated some of the pedestrians around them, many of which were looking at Pyrrha with either shock or confusion, usually followed by dawning realisation. This was one of the first times she'd gone out without a hood of some kind and it had only proven her earlier worries accurate. "I hate the way everyone looks at me."

"Why? It's not like they matter."

Pyrrha glanced to her teammate. Her partner, she reminded herself – even if no one could say they'd really been partners to one another since Beacon began. This was their first conversation that had lasted longer than two minutes. Sadly, Russel didn't quite understand, but rather than retreat from the topic and make excuses like she might have, Pyrrha took Coco's advice and forged ahead.

"It's not that I know them or anything. It's that people judge me based on different standards than the average person."

"Like…?"

"Um. Well…" Pyrrha paused. Few people had ever asked her for examples, but Russel didn't _sound_ like he was disparaging her. "Imagine if you got a girlfriend, for instance," she said. "You find a girl you like, ask her out, and she takes you to visit her parents. Everything goes well, and things work out. You start dating."

"And then imagine that you hang out with Cardin and his team a few days later," she continued. "Everyone is there and you, I don't know, go and play in an arcade or eat at a restaurant. It's nothing serious and you're just having fun. However, there's a moment where Nora is in a good mood and hugs you. She hugs everyone, so it's not a big deal."

Russel snorted. "Yeah, I can imagine that. What's the problem?"

"For you, nothing," Pyrrha said. "But for me, and assuming it was a guy, it would be everywhere tomorrow that I was cheating on my boyfriend with someone. People would dig into my life, my boyfriend's life, and then Nora – or Ren's, whoever the counterpart in this example is – and drag their lives into the dirt. Even if it's not real and everyone figures that out, there will be some people online who don't believe it. They'll call me names, but worse – they'll call everyone else names, too. There'd be a good chance my relationship breaks down because reporters are going to my boyfriend's house, or his parents', and there would be anonymous messages, calls, maybe even death threats."

"Death threats? Over dating someone…?"

"It happens," Pyrrha said. "I remember there were rumours I was dating one of my old agents once because I got excited and hugged him. I was underage, and he got called all kinds of things. Even when we proved it was false, his life had been turned upside down. He said it would be better for us both if I found someone else to be my agent." He'd not blamed her, but Pyrrha blamed herself – and those responsible. "That was one of the first times I realised everything I do is watched and judged. Even when he quit, some people – the nasty ones – said it was evidence of guilt. There's no smoke without fire," Pyrrha seethed.

She hated that stupid saying. Of _course_ there could be rumours without fact. Such was the nature of the damn things.

"Shit," Russel said, and Pyrrha was surprised to hear a little shock in his voice. "That's fucking stupid."

"It is." Pyrrha suddenly giggled as she recalled something. "I'm not allowed to swear, either."

"What!?"

"I have family friendly sponsors, Russel. If I was seen swearing, getting angry, drunk, making a fool of myself or anything, I'd be in breach of contract."

"Is that even a big deal? I figured you'd be loaded."

"It's not about the money," she explained. "They can sue me – and again, while I could fight it off, I'd have to take time out of Beacon to attend court. It would disrupt my life. Not to mention it would be all over the news."

"When Champions go Wild?"

Pyrrha snorted and punched Russel's arm. A second later, she flinched, wondering if that was too much, but her teammate simply laughed. A little delighted, Pyrrha shot him a joking scowl. "That was terrible."

"Yeah, yeah. Still, I guess I can see why all these idiots bother you, then." He said it loud. Very loud. And Pyrrha noticed a few passers-by suddenly look away, finding other things to amuse themselves with. One or two even looked embarrassed. "And you like Jaune because he doesn't know anything about it."

"I did, but that changed."

"Oh?"

"I realised how silly that was." Or, well, Coco had drilled it into her skull. "Liking someone for being ignorant doesn't really make sense, since he could just change once he finds out."

"True," Russel said. "He could be _worse_ than any other fan before."

"Yeah." Not that she thought Jaune ever would. "Instead, I realised there were other things I like about him. How hard he works, how dedicated he is, how much he cares for other people." And a few other, non-polite things that she was sure Russel didn't need to hear. Pyrrha was, after all, still a teenage girl.

And Jaune had a _fantastic_ ass. Even Coco agreed on that one. Velvet said it was the tight black pants he wore as part of his uniform. If so, Pyrrha would make sure tight and black was all he ever wore in the future.

"You're blushing," Russel pointed out.

"Ahem!" Pyrrha coughed into her fist. "Yes, well. That's why I have to be careful of things I say and do."

"Right. Well, I can't say I know what it's like, but I figure it's at least a little similar to working at Jaune's." Pyrrha shot him a confused look and he explained. "Whenever we're working there, everything Velvet and I does reflects on him. We have to swallow our own thoughts and feelings and think about what's best for the brand."

"Huh…" Pyrrha considered his words. "I guess that's not so different."

"Just that yours is _all the time_ and ours is at work." Pyrrha nodded, and the two of them continued on in silence for a few minutes. "You gonna be okay with using your fame to help out, then? Not much point us trying if you don't want to."

Pyrrha shook her head. "No, I'll be fine."

"You sure? I don't want to be the asshole here."

"You're not being it, Russel. Café Prime is. I've… I've had to use my name for money, fame and recognition. I'd never used it to help someone I care about before." A tentative smile appeared on her face. "This might even help me feel better about it. At least it'll be for a good cause."

"Getting Jaune to be so grateful he sweeps you off your feet?"

Pyrrha's face shone, "That's not what I-" She glared, noticing his grin. "You're teasing me!"

"Eh. Maybe."

"Idiot." Despite her words, Pyrrha couldn't quite hide her smile, or her embarrassment. A few people were probably watching, and no doubt making up their own assumptions, but Pyrrha ignored them. Somehow, she didn't think Russel would put up with their nonsense. "What are we doing, then?" she asked. "About Café Prime? I take it you have a plan."

"Multiple. How do you feel about finding a rat in one of their drinks?"

"Disgusted. But I doubt they'd do that, and I don't want to do anything illegal or try to fake something that isn't real. They've done enough to Jaune already. We should focus on something they've actually _done_ , not make other things up."

"It was a joke. Look, there are already a load of reporters around Café Prime at the moment, and I figure some are going to head down to Jaune's soon enough. Won't take them long to figure out who the competition is. They're going to take pictures and stuff. All I want is for you to be _in_ them."

"That's it?"

"For now, sure."

"And this'll help Jaune?"

"You're the resident expert on sponsorship," Russel pointed out. "You tell me."

Pyrrha hummed. Sometimes sponsorship really was as simple as being seen to drink a can of soda or favour a certain brand of clothing. If they were trying to prove to the public that Café Prime couldn't compete with Jaune on quality, and thus had to resort to less fair means, then having _her_ present might help push that image. After all, she was Pyrrha Nikos. She could afford to go somewhere way more expensive if she wanted to. That she chose instead to drink at Jaune's would send a clear message.

Champion Coffee for a Champion Competitor. Pyrrha could imagine the tags online already.

"Yeah. I think that'll work."

/-/

Jaune gaped at the various people with cameras and microphones crowding outside the diner. What the hell was going on? Those inside, savouring their meals, stared out with obvious shock. It was a relief no one had yet entered, but they were already blocking access to the entrance. Jaune made to go and see what the problem was before he noticed two people pushing through, Russel and Pyrrha, in fact.

Wait. Didn't they hate one another?

"Hey boss," Russel said once he got inside. "Busy out there."

Jaune's eyes narrowed instantly. There was something about the way Russel said that which hinted he knew more than he was letting on. To Jaune's surprise, however, some of the cameras had stopped flashing in his direction and were instead focused on Pyrrha.

"Might want to serve her," Russel said as he stepped by, reaching for a uniform to take upstairs. "She's not had the best of times."

"I guess I'll get an explanation for all of this later?"

"An explanation for what?"

"You're not very good at the `looking innocent` thing, Russel." Jaune ignored the surprised look on his employee's face – really, he wasn't _that_ oblivious – and made his way over to Pyrrha's table with a smile on his face. It stretched his patience a little that the cameras flashed, but Pyrrha smiled back up at him winningly, looking for all the world like she was _used_ to such occurrences.

"Morning Jaune."

"Morning Pyrrha. What can I get you?"

More flashes, along with some chairs scraping around as people tried to figure out what the hell was going on. Jaune decided to play it professional and continued smiling as he took Pyrrha's order, went to prepare it and then came back, laying down both a cappuccino and a small plate of chocolate cake. Pyrrha smiled again as she accepted it, almost like she was working for the benefit of the photographers more than she was him. She then made a meal – both literally and figuratively – of cutting into her cake, taking a single bite and showing her appreciation.

The cameras flashed again.

Jaune's brow twitched.

The reporters backed away, forming a small semi-circle as Jaune pulled the door open and stepped outside. He was all too aware of how he was now the focus of attention, not just for the journalists but also his own customers. In a way, he felt oddly like a fighter stepping into a ring. Some kind of gladiator about to fight to the death.

It might have been the mental image that caused it, but when someone stabbed a microphone towards him, he almost tried to parry it. He caught himself at the last second, though.

"Mr Arc, Mr Arc, what do you have to say about the rumours Café Prime are buying your building with the express intent of evicting you?"

What!? How did they-? No, it didn't really matter. Maybe this was just another twist of the knife from Sterling. Well, he wouldn't give the bastard and the pleasure of seeing him laid low. "They're not really rumours. I was served the eviction notice yesterday. I have four weeks left. I think I still have it on me, actually." Jaune rummaged in his pocket and brought out a folded piece of paper.

"Could you hold it open for us?" someone shouted. Not seeing a problem, Jaune did so, smiling weakly as cameras flashed.

"Lisa Lavender here," a woman he recognised from the TV called, forcing her way to the front. "Do you have any comment on the heavy-handed methods Café Prime are taking to try and push you out of business?"

"Not really." He wouldn't lash out. It was what Café Prime wanted. "I'm just… I'm trying to make ends meet, you know. I can't really comment on what's wrong or not. I have to focus on doing the best I can, so I can stay in business."

"Do you have a new venue yet?" someone else asked.

"Not yet. I… This came as a bit of a shock. I've barely had the time to process it, let alone try and look for somewhere new to set up."

"Do you have anything to say on Miss Schnee's comments?"

"Weiss? Why, what's she said?" He shook his head, ignoring the sudden surprise – and glee – some seemed to show at his using Weiss' first name. "Actually, it doesn't matter. Weiss is a valued customer and a friend, like everyone else who comes here. I don't think I should be talking about her behind her back, and I hope this won't sound rude, but I _do_ need you all to make some space. No one can get in."

There were a few more pictures, lights flashing brightly, but the crowd _did_ begin to disperse, many huddling together and looking at their shots, and others pulling out scrolls or even portable terminals to start typing away on like their lives depended on it. Everything was going insane, it seemed. He'd entered the twilight zone.

When Jaune came back inside, he was faced with generous applause from the patrons, along with a few cheers and whistles.

Face red, but smiling at their innocent teasing, Jaune took a deep bow.

/-/

Roman sighed as he accepted another drink in a private booth at Junior's club. Neo sat beside him, glaring down at her non-Jaune coffee balefully. She pouted and took a drink, sticking her tongue out a moment later but eventually finishing it.

"I know, Neo, I know," Roman said. "But the last thing he needs now is for some nosey journalist to spot us as customers. He'd be dragged through the wringer."

Neo shot him a look that suggested she knew that and was irritated he thought her stupid enough not to. It didn't stop her pushing the now empty cup away with a heavy sigh. Really, he spoiled her too much, but then again it was nice to have _someone_ to spoil.

 _Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age,_ he thought with a little chuckle. He wondered if that was why he was so fond with Jaune. Maybe. The kid reminded him of himself in a way, at least in having nothing but his wits and his hard work. Their paths differed. Drastically, some might say. Roman didn't think so, but he didn't care enough to change any minds. Back when he'd started out, the criminal gangs and families ruled and there wasn't much room for an up and coming thief with a flair for the dramatics.

People had tried to shut him down, too. Often violently.

He'd survived.

Would Jaune? Hard to say. Ironically, the underworld often felt a fairer place. At least you could run away from those stronger than you. Hide, gather your strength and strike back when they least expected it. In the world of business, the small and the weak were forced to sit there and take it, often being ground into dust by those who simply had more money.

No one could lock Roman in a court battle until he run out of funds, after all. Jaune didn't have the same safety net.

But he had them. Him, Neo, Junior and his girls.

That would have to do.

The door to the booth opened. One of Junior's men stood there but didn't enter. "She's here, sir," he said. "Shall I let her in?"

"No. Stand there and waste both our time. Of course you should let her in."

The mook bowed his head apologetically and stepped out of the way, letting a short-haired woman in a navy business suit into the booth. Few would have expected to see someone so well-known here, let alone meeting with a wanted criminal, but there were very good reasons for why Roman Torchwick and Lisa Lavender were on a first name basis.

For one, he made for _good_ stories, and occasionally he wanted something to be seen and a little tip off to the press was required. Lisa benefited, he benefited, and Vale even got a chance to catch him if they were quick enough. No harm done. Of course, Lisa would never help him actually commit a crime, but reporting on it was fair game.

And, of course, there were other reasons. Roman wasn't ashamed to admit he was a celebrity of sorts, not to mention _the_ Gentleman Thief. He wasn't above playing to his bad boy status occasionally and when Lisa mentioned being curious one time. Well, they'd had a different kind of fun in one of these booths. Not that he expected that today. He certainly wouldn't keep Neo here if he did.

"Lisa."

"Roman," she said, nodding back. "I didn't expect to get a message from you today, certainly not that you know something about the coffee case I'm working on." She smirked. "Don't tell me you're about to open your own chain. That would certainly be a story for the ages."

"I'm afraid not. Torchwick Cappuccinos is a marvel Vale will sadly have to do without."

"Shame." She took a seat opposite him, eyeing Neo curiously but not asking about her. "So, what do you have for me?"

Roman pushed a plastic folder across the table. "There was an attack on the kid's diner a while back. I learned of it because the kid is in a friend's territory and pays his protection. My friend asked me to track those responsible down and teach them the error of their ways."

"Are we working in hypotheticals or do you expect me not to know this `friend` is Hei Xiong? It's not exactly subtle when we're meeting here and Jaune's is obviously in his territory."

Roman grinned. "Now, now. I'm an insecure man. Let me have my `a friend that totally isn't me` moment."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Insecure? You? Sure. I'll pretend I believe that."

"Thank you. So, we tracked down those responsible, reminded them of why boundaries matter and sent them on their way." Some to the afterlife, he didn't say. "But while we were at it, I decided to figure out exactly _who_ organised it. You know, make sure there aren't any nasty surprises we have to wait for."

"Hm. The less detail there the better, please. I don't want to be complicit in anything too bad."

"Sure, sure. You just want to profit from it."

Lisa's eyes narrowed. "Dangerous lines, Roman. Don't make me run a story on how you're sleeping with an underage girl."

She would and all. Roman laughed. "One, she's not underage – and yes, I know, you wouldn't think it to look at her." Roman ignored Neo's stuck out tongue. "Secondly, we're not sleeping with one another. But thirdly, fine. I'll let it go. Details are all in here but they're not exactly watertight. Not yet."

"Hm." Lisa took the folder but didn't open it. "I take it I'm supposed to do the rest of it myself. Ugh. Fine. I have a couple of interns who owe me favours."

"You might want to handle this one on your own, Lisa."

"Yeah? What makes you say that?"

"Because the attack on the kid's diner wasn't to steal anything specific. It was to cause criminal damage and scare him off. And it was _ordered_ by someone else."

"Who?"

Roman cocked an eyebrow.

Lisa's jaw fell open. "No way."

"I wouldn't dare to say," Roman teased, lighting a cigar.

"No, no, no, you don't get to suggest what I think you're suggesting and then play it cool. You _are_ saying what I think you're saying. Right?"

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm-"

"Argh!" Lisa ignored him and tore open the folder, fanning documents out and scouring through them quickly. When the low lighting in the booth proved insufficient, she pulled out her scroll and held it over the papers, using the torch function.

After a minute or two of mumbling as she read, Lisa Lavender began to laugh.

"My work is done," Roman said, standing. He passed by Lisa and patted her shoulder as he went, not that she noticed. She was too busy laughing like she'd gone insane. "See you around, Lisa. I look forward to seeing your headline."

/-/

"I want him out!"

"Mr Sterling, it's not that simple. There are procedures in place-"

"Don't tell me what we can and can't do," Alexander Sterling snapped. "I want legal letters, threats, whatever. Tell him we're demolishing the fucking building and he has to be out in two weeks instead of four. I don't care what has to be done."

"Sir, something like that wouldn't hold up in court."

"It doesn't have to hold up. He can't afford to challenge it. I want him swamped in letters, each one demanding a response. If he has a lawyer on retainer, it'll cost him an arm and a leg just to keep up. Keep pressuring him. Money isn't an issue here."

"A-Alright, sir." The Solicitor took a note. "We might be able to challenge him on the renovations he did. Those weren't just repairs from the damage he took – he changed the way the place looked. Without planning permission, I'd imagine. We can argue they weren't sanctioned by the previous owners, and certainly not by us."

Sterling nodded. "Do it. I'll talk to the Local Council and see if we can't press charges. In the meanwhile, I want you to go through every clause he signed on taking that place on. I want a list on my desk – and another list dictating any clause we can conceivably catch him out on or force him to void. We only need one to come down hard and force him out."

The Solicitor looked up, "Won't that play into the media's hands, sir?"

"Like that matters. The public will whine and moan, but no one will care enough to do anything; it's happened before, and it'll happen again. I give it a month before it's forgotten and buried. The Vytal Festival will be all people care about in six weeks' time, anyway." Sterling rolled his eyes. "If I need to, I'll find someone to take the fall. Pay 'em off or serve an NDA. They won't dare talk." He considered for a second. "While we're at it, see if we can't slap an NDA on the bastard. It won't shut the Schnee bitch up, but it'll keep him from talking."

"I might be able to swing it, sir. If we serve him for libel tomorrow, I can probably swing an injunction on him offering any comment lest he sway the case."

"Won't it take time to get an injunction?"

"It will, but he won't know that. If I phrase a letter to make it clear he is to say nothing or face additional charges, he'll almost certainly accept it as fact."

"Perfect. Get it done."

Sterling smiled and excused himself, content to let the legal team get to work. He might have felt some sympathy for the boy, but he'd been given chance after chance to sell up. He only had himself to blame for being a stubborn brat. Calling his name and the brand into question with this latest campaign? That was a line crossed. He'd see the idiot _buried_ under the weight of his ire. He'd see his business crushed, his name driven into the mud and, if possible, everything he owned repossessed. It would send a clear message to any other uppity brats who tried to take his place.

"I think you'll find, Mr Arc, that Alexander Sterling does _not_ lose."

/-/

Far away in Atlas, Jacques Schnee reclined in an expensive office chair and sipped of a small glass of brandy. His eyes drifted shut, enjoying for a moment the peaceful feeling of profit without incident, before the buzzer on his desk cruelly interrupted the moment. Reaching over with a sigh, he pushed the red button.

"What is it?"

"It's something you should see, sir," the voice of his secretary came through. "With regards to Weiss. Your daughter."

Jacques rolled his eyes. As if the latter was needed; what kind of a fool did she take him for as to forget who his own child was? "Come in, then," he said, rolling his eyes. The door opened a moment later and the hawkish woman entered. She was neither an attractive nor an overly efficient woman, but she had a face and personality that intimidated many, and for that she filled his needs perfectly. No one dared bother her, and by extension him, unless there was no other choice.

She saved him hours in pointless and petty meetings with employees and managers that should be solving their problems themselves. For that, he kept her on. He couldn't remember her name, though.

"Sir," she greeted.

"Hm." He grunted, refusing to ask or suggest anything. He saw a newspaper in her hand. "Bring it here, then. What is it my daughter has gotten up to this time?"

"Nothing bad on her end for once, sir."

"Oh?" Jacques accepted the newspaper – the Daily Vale – and opened it up. "Vale's Culture Ruined by Rampant Immigration," he read aloud. Jacques paused. "Does Vale even _have_ a culture? It's possibly the most vanilla Kingdom I've ever visited."

"The, um, second story, sir. And no, you're probably right…"

"Ah, yes." Jacques read a little further. "Spokesperson from Café Prime calls Schnee heiress Weiss Schnee coward and liar. Threatens Schnee family with libel action." Jacques nodded and gently folded the newspaper in two, placing it down evenly on his desk.

He then reached for his glass and brought it to his lips, savouring the taste of his brandy for a long moment and letting out a contented sigh.

"Tell me, did a _coffee peddler_ just insult the Schnee family?"

"I believe so, sir. Both your daughter and… well, the Schnee name itself."

"I see." The glass was gently placed down. Jacques linked his hands over his chest, leaned back and smiled. "I suppose it would be rude not to respond, wouldn't it?" Jacques chuckled as his secretary nodded and excused herself, already on the way to contact and call a meeting with the SDC's numerous legal and PR teams. A strange sense of nostalgia came over Jacques, making him smile.

It had been a while since he'd had the chance to thoroughly focus his ire on another company and make them regret the moment they had ever crossed him.

Perhaps he'd send a thank you card to Weiss for so thoughtful a gift.

"A Schnee does not take such insults lightly."

* * *

 **Real Life Business Lesson: There is always a bigger fish.**

 **Or alternatively, be careful of the toes you step on today, for they may be attached to the feet you need to kiss tomorrow.**

 **Wait, and what's this? A fic in which Jacques Schnee is being portrayed in a good light? FAKE NEWS! Oh, and the "immigration joke" in the last segment is obviously not a joke against that, but rather at a fairly well-known and cringe-worthy newspaper in the UK.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 2** **nd** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	30. Chapter 30

**Back from the expo, still tired but alive. And thank God nothing dramatic happened. Year before last I had two people get into a war with one another on the questions, which threatened to turn violent. Over, no less, an argument on serialisation on pharmaceutical packaging and how it could help stop counterfeit drugs, but how one of the industry's biggest players – who was one of the arguers – was preventing the attempt to bring it into law because even though it might save lives from dangerous counterfeit drugs, the change to all their packaging would be `expensive` to implement.**

 **The argument got heated. It was actually a rep from Unilever doing it, arguing that a little extra cost would be worth it to save lives. Meanwhile, the rep from the pharma company (who I obviously won't name) was deflecting and deflecting hard.**

 **I had to wade in and break it up. But, luckily, nothing like that happened this year.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 30**

* * *

"He did _what_!?"

Velvet didn't normally raise her voice, but this time she felt justified, such was her shock, horror and downright revulsion. It hardly helped that Jaune – her boss, but also something of a friend – looked positively sick, sat at a table with one hand on his face, the other atop several formal letters.

"It's like I said, Velvet. I'm being sued for libel."

"Bullshit!"

"I agree with her," Russel said. "That's bullshit. Doesn't libel require you to have _said_ something?"

"I don't know. I'm not a lawyer. All I know is that I have these." Jaune waved the documents. "And that I'm to respond or face them in court. Oh, and there's an NDA I have to sign. I'm not allowed to say or comment on Café Prime or face worse."

Velvet stomped one foot, not that it did her any good. There was a burning desire to march down to Café Prime and give them a piece of her mind – and it was less than five storefronts away, too. How convenient – but she knew that would only make things worse.

 _Is this because of what we did? Is Jaune paying the price for me spreading the news of what Café Prime were doing?_

That wasn't fair, how they were going for Jaune and not her. And besides, libel was lying, right? The only rumours she'd spread were that Café Prime was cheating to push Jaune out of business, which was absolute fact.

"They can't do this," Velvet said.

"Yeah? Well it looks like they are. I…" Jaune's head fell into his hands. "I can't do this…"

Nausea welled up inside her. Velvet reached out a hand, but Russel caught her wrist and shook his head. He placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder and shook it gently. "Hey, you're not in the right mind to work today, boss. Why don't you take a day off and let us look after things?"

"I can't. I feel ill just thinking about this…"

"Then go upstairs and rest," Russel suggested. "Put your feet up, watch the TV or get some sleep. Fretting about this isn't going to solve anything and if you work looking like that, people will just ask what's wrong. You'll be at risk of breaking that NDA all day long."

Velvet didn't like the fact Russel phrased it like that, like Jaune should try and follow it, but she kept silent, shooting her colleague a glare that told him he'd better have a good reason for talking like that. He nodded back.

"I… I guess you're right." Jaune stood, wavered gently and leaned on Russel.

"Did you even sleep last night, man?"

"How could I? All of this…"

"Get some sleep, boss. Come on. I'll help you upstairs." Russel hooked Jaune's arm around his shoulders and helped him stagger away, leaving Velvet to man the shop. It was still early in the morning and before it officially opened. Being a Saturday, the diner was festooned with a `movie` theme day, Velvet dressed as a mafioso gangster.

The general effect was ruined, of course, by the current mood. Velvet placed both hands down on the table before her, closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. They didn't calm her nearly as much as she would have liked, and her fingers gripped the table edge so tight she was afraid it might break. Those bastards. Those rotten bastards. It wasn't enough that they were pushing him out of business, was it? Now they had to go after his health, too. Drag him through the courts and over the hot coals.

"Hey." Russel was back, behind her. "Calm down."

"Calm?" She whirled on him, snarling at the young man who wore an outfit straight out of a Spruce Willis movie, fake gunshot wounds and all. "How am I supposed to stay calm at a time like this? They've gone after Jaune, and it's _our_ fault for prodding the rapier wasp's nest!"

"This is why you need to calm down. You're letting them get to you." Russel stopped talking and pointed a finger toward the ceiling, miming for her to speak at a lower volume. "They're doing this because they're angry," he said. "It means we're getting to them. If we stop now, they win and Jaune loses out. Maybe we'll lose anyway, maybe we can't win at all, but since _Jaune_ isn't the one actually saying anything, the suit won't go anywhere. It's _us_ they should be trying to sue."

"How does that make it any better?"

"It doesn't, but it means Jaune will be safe. This? This is bluster."

"How can you say? Are you a lawyer?"

"I don't need to be a lawyer to see that something that says _Jaune_ can't talk won't stop _us_ talking. If we do it _outside_ our job, anyway. It won't stop Pyrrha or Weiss, either way." Russel brought forth a local newspaper off the stand – he bought a bunch each morning for people to read – and slapped it down on the table.

The front cover held a picture of Pyrrha sat at a table, smiling up at Jaune as he took her order. There was a serene, casual quality to the image, though Velvet wondered if it wasn't her knowing the truth that made it obvious Pyrrha had romantic feelings for Jaune. The article seemed to hint at it, but only in the way most tabloids did.

"People are talking about what's happening," Russel said. "They're talking about Jaune and Café Prime. This is the best we can do and if we _stop_ , they win. They take the building, kick Jaune out and then bury him in court costs until he goes bankrupt. Do you want that?"

"N-No." Velvet bit her lip. "But they're hurting him. _We're_ hurting him by doing this."

"No. _We_ are doing what we have to do to help him. _They_ are choosing to hit back at us by targeting him. They want us to stop."

"Maybe we should…"

Russel fixed her with a stern look, "Even if you do, do you think Ruby and Weiss will? Do you think Pyrrha will sit by and watch Jaune be pushed out of Vale, out of her reach?" He snorted at the very idea. "They'll keep fighting, and Café Prime will keep hitting out at Jaune to try and force them to stop. If you give in, all you do is prove to them that it's working." He looked away, collected the court documents and stashed them in a drawer behind the counter, out of sight of any customers. "But it's your call in the end. I won't tell you what to do."

 _And yet it really feels like you are,_ Velvet thought, watching Russel get the shop ready. He knew it, of course. The way he phrased the offer made it clear that if she backed out, she was playing their game and turning her back on Jaune and everyone else.

Maybe he was right, but he didn't have to be such a smug asshole about it.

"Looks like the hungry mob is here," Russel called, working on a machine. "Can you clear them off? No customers will feel brave enough to come close if you don't."

"Hungry-?" Velvet looked to the entrance.

Her ears drooped.

Reporters, journalists and what she would have assumed were paparazzi if it weren't for the fact she couldn't see past the bright flashes of light. Velvet wanted to duck and hide behind a table. Become a waitress, she'd thought. Become more confident, she'd thought.

This wasn't in the job description!

And yet it was getting closer to eight, opening time, and if _she_ didn't unlock the front door, she had a feeling the windows would cave in from the mass of people. Taking a deep breath and adjusting her black miniskirt – damn you, Coco – Velvet made her way to the door and unlocked it. The second she did, the door was pulled open and some fluffy microphone thing was pushed into her face.

"Miss Scarlatina, can you comment on the reports of Café Prime's business practices?"

"Is Mr Arc here? C4S here, requesting an intervi-"

"Are Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc an item?"

"Suggestions that Café Prime-"

"Is it true that-"

"-Scarlatina!"

"-tina!"

"STOP!" Velvet shouted, arms held out on either side. The sudden sound bounced around the street, echoing off the nearby buildings. Not only did the reporters stop, but several passers-by froze, following her orders instinctively.

How did they even know her name? Ugh, likely by talking to someone. Any customer knew. Even so, this was ridiculous. Too many questions and all at once. Velvet took a deep breath and tried to calm her beating heart. It didn't help that she was suddenly the centre of attention for so many people – and was that camera _broadcasting_ this?

Oh no…

"One at a time," Velvet said, more to bring some order than because she wanted to answer any questions. If she didn't, they'd just start shouting again. She pointed at a random woman. "You there."

"Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos," the woman said, smiling ferally. Velvet groaned. "Is there any truth to the rumours the two are dating?"

"Pyrrha Nikos is a customer here and gets on well with Jaune," she answered truthfully. "I don't think they're together, but I wouldn't know for certain. You'd have to ask Jaune or Pyrrha directly. Next question. You."

"As an employee of Mr Arc's, what do you think about the recent problems with Café Prime?"

A question about her? Velvet paused for a second before answering. "Um. I'm pretty upset by it, I guess. I _like_ working here. I _like_ Jaune and the customers, and even Russel. Uh, my colleague." She jerked a thumb back toward Russel nervously. "I don't think I'd like working for Café Prime from what I've seen. Not if they're willing to do things like this."

There. That seemed perfectly PC enough, and she'd made it clear it was her opinion. Prime shouldn't be able to bounce it back on Jaune.

Except they would try anyway, wouldn't they?

That was just the kind of company they were. Velvet sighed and pointed to another reporter, a middle-aged man with grey hair.

"Café Prime seems unusually worried about so small a business, miss. Can you comment on what you think gives Jaune's an edge over the competition?"

"I think I can. Café Prime is a chain. It's standard. Everything is familiar, measured and made to a criteria. You can go to any Café Prime in any city in Remnant, and what you order will be the exact same every time. Jaune's… Jaune's is different." Velvet smiled whimsically. Yeah, it was definitely different working here. "There's more to it, more… feeling. Everything is made by us in shop and we have all these different blends, not because it's better for business – it's not and it sometimes makes working here hard, because you have to work with so many blends – but we do it because it makes the experience _special_ for our customers."

"Everyone has a different favourite. It's actually pretty crazy how many people like coffee, but how _different_ everyone likes it. Remembering all of that can be hard sometimes," she said with a laugh. "But there's a certain sense of pride when you make a drink here, because it's not something they can get anywhere else. It's something special, made with care and attention… and passion, I guess. Jaune wouldn't have made everything like this if he wasn't passionate about what he's doing. I think Café Prime lacks that. To them, everything is about the money. It's about efficiency. It's a machine."

Velvet trailed off as she realised everyone was staring at her silently. Her cheeks flushed, and her ears drooped. She played with one nervously. "A-At least that's what I think. S-Sorry, I kind of went off in my own world there…"

"N-No," the man said. He looked shocked. "That… The answer was perfect, miss. Thank you." He drew a deep breath. "Can I… Would you mind if I came in for a coffee?"

"Oh, by all means." She smiled and stepped aside, and the man smiled and walked in, making his way to the counter. "I don't think I can keep answering more," Velvet said, realising that the morning rush was on its way. "Maybe later, when it's not so busy?"

"One last question," someone bravely called. "Is Jaune Arc here? Would he be willing to answer questions?"

Velvet hesitated.

Hesitated, considered the words she'd just said, and made her choice.

"Jaune _is_ here, but he can't answer any questions, I'm afraid. Café Prime is currently trying to sue him for libel and have forced a Non-Disclosure Agreement on him. He's not legally allowed to say anything about what's happening, or to tell anyone anything about Café Prime."

And just like that, Velvet bowed, leaving the reporters with shocked, indignant and - in some cases – gleeful expressions. She had a feeling she knew what would be in tomorrow's reports, and probably online within the hour, too.

 _I just hope this is worth it,_ she thought.

Because even if she wasn't sure how it would go, she was going to keep on fighting.

/-/

Team RWBY were predictably unimpressed when they arrived later that afternoon. It didn't even taken Russel giving them the story, since they'd all caught it on the news already.

"We can't storm Café Prime, Ruby," Weiss said.

"Why not? They're being eviller than the Grimm."

"They're being callous and unethical, yes, but they're not killing anyone." Weiss paused. "That I know of, anyway. Regardless, violence is not the answer here."

"You sure?" Yang asked. "Might make us feel better."

"I don't doubt that, nor do I deny it would please me. I'm just saying it's not the answer."

Yang sighed and slumped back in her seat. It was busy today and the diner looked amazing, festooned with movie pictures, references and stuff like that. Velvet looked smart and hot in her tight-fitting mafia outfit, while Russel rocked muscles she hadn't been aware he had.

Still, there was something missing and it wasn't hard to figure out what. Jaune was absent. Sleeping off his own angst upstairs if Velvet was to be believed. _Well-deserved angst_ , Yang thought with a shake of the head. The kind of shit Café Prime were pulling was getting old. She hadn't been serious about attacking the place, but she'd be lying if she said the temptation to crack a few heads wasn't there.

"Do you think I should go and talk to him?" Ruby asked nervously.

Welp. Time to head that off. "Let him rest, sis. I know you want to help and all, but sometimes a person wants to have a little time to themselves. Besides, if he was up all-night worrying, he must be exhausted."

"You could send him a text message," Blake suggested, tapping her own scroll.

Ruby's face lit up and Yang nodded her thanks to Blake. That, at least, might cheer the poor guy up. Her sister meant well but smothering someone didn't always help. "Seriously though, that little interview with Velvet probably did more than anything. Did you see her when she went red and played with her ear? Literal cuteness meltdown."

"It was a rather endearing image," Weiss agreed, flushing a little.

"It's also ironic that she was talking about Café Prime's practices while dressed as a mobster," Blake said. "Even the mafia turns its nose up at them. But damage or not, this isn't going to stop them, is it?"

"Why not?" Ruby asked. "I thought reputation was everything to a business."

"It is," Weiss said, "But they're in a do or die situation now, Ruby. They can back off and let Jaune win, regaining some public opinion, but in doing so they'll have drawn far too much publicity to Jaune's. I wouldn't be surprised if investors lined up outside to offer him funding to make this into a chain. It would be the death of Café Prime."

"On the other hand, they can grit their teeth, take the hits and put him out of business," Blake said. "Pain in the short term, but people's memories are short and everyone who needs a drink in the morning will come back because they don't have any alternatives."

"That's not fair!" Ruby crowed.

"I didn't say it was. It rarely is. The SDC were just as bad with faunus workers… No offence," Blake quickly said, looking to Weiss. Though the heiress probably _was_ annoyed by the comment, she accepted it graciously. "Not everyone _liked_ how the SDC treated its workforce, but at the end of the day people needed jobs and the SDC knows that people need dust. They can complain about how it's made by low-paid faunus in terrible positions, but you still need dust for Crescent Rose."

Ruby's hand snapped to her side, caressing her weapon almost guiltily.

Yang grimaced, too. Yeah, Blake could hit hard when she wanted to. None of them wanted to imagine supporting poor labour conditions, but the SDC controlled the dust and they all used it for their weapons. They just didn't have a choice.

And like the SDC, Café Prime had something of a monopoly. Or would have when Jaune's was shut down.

"Do you think Jaune has any chance of winning?"

The piteously asked question came from Ruby, and as expected, everyone at the table flinched. Blake's book came up like a shield, while Yang instantly turned to Weiss, making it clear the question had been fielded in her direction. Weiss winced, looked for an escape, and found none.

"It's not… That is to say…"

"Weiss? Please be honest…"

"The chances are slim." Weiss's face fell when Ruby's lip quivered. "But that's no reason not to try in the first place. If you lower your weapon in front of a Grimm, then you shall never know if you might have defeated it. I've heard underdog stories with worse odds than this."

But they'd never involved business, Yang thought to herself with a grimace. A plucky person with a knife might strike lucky and fight off a Grimm, but business had laws around it. Jaune couldn't act without being slapped down by something, and at the end of the day the Council was incentivised to protect the bigger businesses. More tax money that way.

 _This,_ Yang thought. _This is why being a huntress is easier…_

The front door of the diner slammed open. The bell practically _cracked_ as it bounced up into the celling. Alexander Sterling _stalked_ into the diner with a barely concealed snarl on his face. It was obvious even through the veneer of civility he portrayed.

He was flanked by two people, one a black-suited man with sunglasses who screamed `bodyguard` to Yang, and the other, a wiry man with a long face and pinched eyes. He wore glasses and a smile that was just a little smug and self-satisfied.

"Where is he?" Sterling demanded, looking left and right.

Yang reached for her scroll, but Blake nudged her foot under the table. Her partner already had hers out and was recording. Ah, Blake. Dependable as always.

Russel was behind the bar, but the guy looked almost _eager_ to jump over and answer that question. Yang could imagine why. She hadn't thought they had anything in common, but the guy had a mean streak like her own.

Sadly, it was Velvet who was out serving customers and she beat Russel to it, stepping in front of Sterling with a pleasant, if forced, smile. "Can I help you, Mister Sterling?"

"Where," Sterling said, speaking each word slowly, as if to a child, "Is. He?"

"Jaune?"

"Yes! Your boss. Your manager. The one in charge." He waved a hand. "Bring him out, wherever he's hiding."

"He's not hiding, sir. He's asleep. Has been since this morning."

"Don't think to play games with me, girl," Sterling stepped forward and poked a finger at Velvet. Being a huntress, if in training, Velvet didn't look all that impressed and casually caught the finger before it could reach her. Sterling scowled but acted like it didn't happen. "And don't think _you'll_ be getting off lightly for what you did this morning. Mr Smithson here has something for you to sign." He looked over Velvet's shoulder towards Russel, who was watching the situation closely. "You and your little boyfriend."

"We're not like that… and I'm not signing anything."

"I think you will, my dear," the solicitor said, coughing into his fist. "We've more than enough material to launch a libel suit against you for your defamation of Café Prime's good name this morning. Live on TV no less. Of course, we might be able to settle out of court on the matter. Such would be the best for you." He looked Velvet up and down. "I doubt you have the… ah… _finances_ to face it in court."

Yang bristled, along with just about everyone else listening. A couple of chairs dragged back, and although no one stood, there was a tension in the air. Yang had the distinct impression Jaune's could become a battlefield at any moment.

"I'm not signing anything without a solicitor of my own," Velvet said neutrally. "As a student, I think the school would have something to say if I did."

"I'd be happy to take you through the details myself," the solicitor offered. He smiled in a condescending manner. "Pro bono."

Velvet frowned. "I think I'll talk to the school first."

"Enough of this," Sterling snapped. "Where is he? He's broken the terms of his tenancy by inviting a legal suit. I expect he didn't pay attention to that, but the previous tenancy agreement strictly stated that no criminal, or individual pending a criminal or civil case, can rent the premises."

"What?" Ruby cried, standing. "But _you're_ the ones forcing the case on him!"

"Contract Law is precise," Sterling deflected, eyes still on Velvet. "Those who breach contract must pay the consequences. I am officially closing down this store now, pending an _immediate_ investigation into whether or not he breached contract."

That generated a reaction. Numerous voices were raised in complaint, some going so far as to throw abuse. Yang was about to stand herself.

"This is the law!" Sterling called out over the mess. He stepped away from Velvet, closer to his bodyguard. "Enough of this nonsense. Bring Arc down or we'll go up and conduct business in his apartment. It _does_ belong to us, after all."

"I've told you he's sleeping. He's exhausted!"

Sterling sighed. "Remove her, please," he said to the man beside him.

The suited bodyguard strode forward. "Come on, miss," he said, trying to sound kind and unthreatening. "It's not our place to argue while the bosses are talking, eh? Let's just come aside." He laid a hand on Velvet's shoulder.

Mistake, Yang thought.

Velvet evidently agreed. She twisted suddenly, snapping one hand up under his to push him off, and then another over the top of it, twisting her body and his arm against her side, pinning and spinning around. The bodyguard was dragged forward and down with a yelp, forced to comply or have his arm wrenched out of its socket. He came to a halt on his knees, face down and captured arm twisted up above him, in Velvet's hands. His other hand was flat-down on the floor, supporting his weight. Yang knew that if Velvet so much as leaned forward she could apply pressure to his shoulder joint. Snap it if she really wanted to.

Alexander Sterling and his solicitor recoiled at the casual violence, despite that they'd initiated it. Ironically, the same could not be said of the clientele of Jaune's. They seemed remarkable unaffected, some nodding along and others shaking their heads.

It wouldn't have surprised Yang if they were commenting, praising and critiquing Velvet's technique. Jaune's _was_ a huntsman diner, after all. Everyone here probably knew the same move, and most of them could do it better and faster, being professional huntsmen and huntresses. To Sterling, Velvet might have seemed to move so fast he couldn't react. To everyone else, Velvet was average. Good for her age and experience, but nothing more. An adult huntress in the corner casually raised a hand and called on Russel for a refill.

Sterling was not so unaffected. "What is the meaning of this? Release him!"

"If he agrees to back away, sure," Velvet said. Sterling didn't agree, but evidently the man on the ground did, for she stepped back and let go.

To his credit, the bodyguard stood and dusted himself down without making a fuss. He stepped back to Sterling's side, and Yang thought she heard him cuss out his boss for not telling him she was a huntress.

"How was I supposed to know?" Sterling growled. "It doesn't matter," he added, this time louder. "You just assaulted someone in broad daylight. You'll be lucky if I don't stake you out for this!"

"You started it," Velvet said.

"But you escalated," the solicitor countered. "This is a business transaction an – ah – failure on Mr Arc's part to follow the terms and conditions of his tenancy." His smile was slimy, and that said something seeing as he stood beside Sterling. "We are within our right to demand clarification from Mr Arc, and these _are_ his opening hours. Given the – ah – dangers involved in an eviction, it's not uncommon to bring alone someone to serve as a deterrence against violent action. It is, however, an offence to attack and subdue said person, as you did."

"You're going to arrest me, then?"

"Now, my dear, I'm sure that's not necessary."

"I think it is." Velvet looked surprised to hear herself say that, but she stood her ground nonetheless. "Jaune is my boss, but he's also my friend. I respect and care for him. Your letter this morning left him unable to sleep and he's exhausted, both physically and mentally. I… I'm not going to let you bully him any further. I refuse. You'll have to come back with some police and arrest me."

"And me," Russel said, finally speaking up. He came out to stand next to Velvet with his arms crossed. He nudged her elbow with his, grinned and winked. Velvet scoffed but didn't move. Russel, smirk in place, turned back to Sterling. "We'll tell him you came by if you like. How about making an appointment to meet him another time? Say, tomorrow?"

The solicitor frowned. "If that is the only-"

"No!" Sterling snapped. The veins in his neck bulged and his face was bright red. "Enough of this… this nonsense! I want him out _now_. I want this place closed down and everyone in it _out_. I've had enough of his foot-dragging and enough of his… his _slander_!"

"Slander, you say?" a voice by the door asked. There was a man there, middle-aged going on elderly with white dark hair streaked grey and a clean-shaven face. He had a briefcase at his side and wore a long, cream coat with a black scarf that fell on either side. The front was open, revealing a navy-blue suit of immaculate design. "Slander," he repeated, stepping into the diner. "Hm. Quite the bold claim to be making. Very bold indeed. You would not be making such wild claims without due cause, no? I would like to know what that is." The man's eyes zeroed in on the papers in Sterling's hand. "An eviction notice? I think I would like to see those, too. I think we shall be lodging an appeal in that regard."

"Who the hell are _you_ supposed to be?" Sterling asked, stepping forward. The man in the suit turned to the side, dodging Sterling's finger.

"Ah. Please, do not touch what you cannot afford."

"Excuse me!?"

"And my name is Grey, Richard Grey, of Grey & Sons." The man smiled when Sterling's solicitor paled. "I see you've heard of me." He brushed by a stunned Sterling and approached Velvet and Russel. "Is Mr Arc in? I'd like to speak to my client if he's available."

"He's sleeping," Velvet said.

"Oh? Then I shall have a cup of coffee, and perhaps a slice of cake."

Yang could hardly take her eyes off the scene. The guy, without so much as stating his purpose, had left Sterling red in the face and _shaking_ with rage. It looked like he wanted to say something, but his solicitor was holding him back, hissing something into his ear. Combined with the bodyguard, he was able to drag Sterling out of the diner. Yang whistled and then looked to the others at the table, quickly seeing the look of shock and clear recognition on Weiss' face.

"Yo, Weiss-cream. Who is this guy?"

Weiss was so surprised she didn't even react to the name. Instead, she stared at the man, before she started to laugh.

"Weiss?" Ruby asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Ha. Nothing is wrong." She wiped her eye with one hand. "And that, Yang, is Richard Grey. My father's _personal_ solicitor."

Yang's eyes widened. She glanced at Blake. "You got this on video?"

"Yep."

"You uploaded it yet?"

"Yeeeep."

"Nice."

/-/

When Jaune slumped down the stairs an hour before closing, he was surprised to see the diner still full, and containing a few familiar faces. Team RWBY were all there, along with Pyrrha, Ren, Nora and a couple of others. They all looked to be on the edge of their seats, like they were waiting for something. Possibly him. Jaune grimaced and hoped he didn't look too defeated.

Velvet and Russel were waiting, too. But for some reason _they_ looked satisfied. Almost _too_ satisfied.

Jaune looked around, for evidence of anything that might have happened. There was nothing, nothing other than all the faces, waiting, some smiling, all looking… remarkably calm for how dire the situation was.

"Did I… miss something while I was asleep?"

* * *

 **Nah. Nothing much. So, Jaune's in full defeat mode but everyone else isn't willing to do the same, with Velvet gaining her determination this chapter and Sterling pushed to the edge. Will Jaune remain the weak link in the chain, and who will it take to knock some sense into him?**

 **That's right.** **Kanye We-**

 **No. Just no.**

 **This is kind of the last chapter of Jaune being mostly absent from his own story. Last two chapters intentionally had him sort of back off and go into full retreat while others took the limelight.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 16** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	31. Chapter 31

**So, my forum just let me know Service with a Smile has eclipsed Professor Arc and Not this Time, Fate to become the most followed story in the fandom. I'm pleased, obviously, but also kind of baffled. xD**

 **I mean, I enjoy this story and writing it, which is sometimes a change from my others, but there's always a part of me just kinda going "Coeur, do you actually have a plot for this?" and my brain goes, "Nope. Not even nearly."**

 **It's also weird when one considers it's barely more than a year old. Most of the time, you expect older stories to just have more follows, or be unassailable by new ones, because they would have been followed by fans who no longer read fanfic, or don't like RWBY, etc, and so the older stories get a shot at both the old follows** _ **and**_ **the new follows. They're established, ever-present.**

 **And then this. Hm. I guess this is proof, fantasy world or not – we all just want to play with coffee!**

 **Coffee-Chan is truly best RWBY character.**

 **If she doesn't get a bigger role in season 6 I shall cry. Just a single scene where someone raises her to their lips, caresses her, kisses her – and the OTP will be canon-confirmed.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 31**

* * *

"Mr Arc. Good to meet you. My name is Richard Grey, your new solicitor."

Jaune sighed and didn't shake the man's hand. "I don't need a solicitor."

"I would very much disagree, sir." The man took his hand back. He didn't look offended. "Your business is in peril and Café Prime have even served you an immediate eviction notice. More than anyone in Vale, I believe you need a solicitor right now."

"Eviction…?" His face fell. He slumped. "I… I'll pack my bags…"

"What are you talking about!?" Ruby pushed forward. "Jaune, you can't!"

"Can't what?" he asked, tired. "Can't fight them? I know that. I can't do much of anything right now. It's over. Done." He waved a hand. "Jaune's is done. Café Prime has won."

"No! You can still fight!"

"You don't think I haven't been?" he snapped back. "This isn't a Grimm, Ruby. This isn't something I can take a sword to, if I even knew how to use my own. I can't walk over there and punch Café Prime in the face. The laws… The laws don't help me." He choked. "They help big businesses. They're designed to help big businesses. Someone like me, someone small, we're not important."

"You're important to us," Pyrrha said.

Jaune hesitated. "Maybe," he acknowledged. "But you don't make the laws." Their eyes were locked on his, all of them sorrowful. Jaune looked away. "I'm sorry. I don't… I'm not ruining the mood intentionally. I'm just tired. I'm spent. You guys should go. I… I need to put my affairs in order. Find somewhere to stay."

"That's it, then?" Ruby demanded. "You're not even going to try?"

He had his back to them. "I've been trying since I opened up. It's not like I haven't give it my best."

"Then what is one more week?" Weiss asked.

"Pointless? Impossible. If I'm being evicted, I don't even have a choice."

"The eviction can be fought, Mr Arc."

"Not forever. They own the building now. Even if they can't forcefully evict me, they can just close it down." Jaune made his way to the staircase, ignoring their protests. "I'll see you all later maybe. Or not. I'll… I'll try come visit Beacon before I leave."

Jaune clenched his eyes shut and dashed back up the stairs before they could argue. His shoulder hit the door and nearly tore it off its hinges. He'd had to leave, had to turn away, because tears brimmed in the corners of his eyes. His hands clamped down onto the edges of the sink as he turned the faucet on full blast and splashed water into his face, washing away the evidence of his shame.

He stood like that for a minute or two, face submerged in water splashing back from the palms of his hands, his breath coming out in harsh pants. Eventually, when the water turned lukewarm, Jaune turned it off and staggered back. Grabbing a towel off the side, he scrunched it up against his face and took a long, shaky breath.

"It's over, then?" a masculine voice asked. Russel stood, arms crossed, leaning against the wall beside the door. His face was completely neutral.

"I guess it is. I'll have your pay packet," Jaune promised. "I'll give you both a bonus. You… You more than earned it." Even if he'd never intended to take on both Velvet and Russel, even if Velvet had been pity and nothing more, and Russel had – if he admitted it – intimidated him at first.

Both had been wonderful. Both had been a _part_ of Jaune's. Irreplaceable. The entire diner could have changed in an instant, but it wouldn't have been the same if either he or Velvet had left.

"Hmm. I'm not looking forward to having to find a new job."

"You'll manage it. Your résumé was amazing. You've always worked in places like this."

"Yeah. You know why?"

"Because you needed the money. Your father didn't work."

"That's what I said, yeah." Russel pushed himself off the wall and cracked his neck from side to side. One of his hands gripped his wrist and rubbed it almost nervously. "Wasn't the whole truth, though. Truth wasn't any of your business at the time. I needed the money to move out. To get away from him."

"Wh-"

"Dad liked to drink," Russel said, speaking over Jaune, before he could say anything. "Liked to drink, but also liked to do other things. Whore. Drugs. The whole lot. If he didn't have any or couldn't afford any, he'd get angry. Angry enough to lash out at people. Usually, it was people who couldn't fight back, like a little kid. Or Mom. Got worse when Mom gave up and left. Didn't take me with her for some reason." Russel laughed bitterly. "I got blamed for that, too. Got punished for it."

Jaune's hands stilled. "He… hit you?"

"Hit? Nah, man. Hit is what happens when someone slaps you. He _beat_ me. Beat me like a man wouldn't beat a fucking dog. He liked belts the best. Made a loud crack, and if the end caught it would splash blood." Russel sneered and looked away. "Still got the marks on my back from that."

"That's…" Jaune didn't know what to say. "It's horrible."

"Yeah, well. He _was_ horrible. Not as much if he was stoned or pissed though, so I worked to keep him that way. Worked to give him money, prove I was worth keeping around. Make it so he was better off _not_ beating me within an inch of my life. I said before I earned money to leave, but that wasn't true. Not at first. All the money went to him. I didn't even _think_ of leaving. Didn't think I could. Didn't even cross my mind. He was my Dad, you know. Family. Where the fuck would someone like me go?"

"The police…?"

"Small village. Besides, I didn't think of it. I was too lost. Felt I had to take it, had to work my way out of it alone. The beatings got less if I gave him money, so I took a job. And then two. And then three jobs, all to make it work. I even started to shoot up a little myself." Russel made a gesture towards his arm, as if injecting something. "That was how I first met Cardin, twitching and having a seizure as I threw up on his shoes."

"Bastard wasn't the least bit sympathetic," Russel laughed. "Told me exactly what he thought of some drugged-up loser like me but carried me to the nearest hospital anyway. Dumped me there. Didn't meet him again until he recognised me serving at a restaurant. Nearly got me fired when he mentioned me being a druggie. We got to talkin' though. Found we had some things in common. He became a friend, of sorts. It was good. First friend. I stopped shooting because it pissed him off. Of course, things couldn't stay happy. Not forever."

"What happened?"

"I lost one of my jobs. Nothin' on my part, just the owners closing down – sickness in the family or something. But suddenly, I was without a part of my income and Dad got sober. Worse, he got hungover and cold turkey. If he was bad sober, he was worse in pain. I thought I was going to die. Belt just kept raining down and down and blood was fucking everywhere. And then… then, Cardin."

"Cardin…?"

"Cardin," Russel agreed, laughing bitterly. "Dunno why he was there, but he came flying into the house roaring like a fucking Ursa. Fifteen-years-old and not as big as he is now, but he was on my old man before I could blink. Punching, kicking, biting. Slammed him into a wall and beat the bastard black and blue. I had to drag him off, man. Cardin was going to _kill_ him." Russel was shaking slightly, hands twitching. He ran one through his mohawk. "Things changed. Cardin dragged me to his home, said I was living there now. Wouldn't take no for an answer."

"He set me straight. Told me I'd gotten used to being helpless, _learned_ to be helpless, that I was taking beatings I didn't have to. I never saw my old man again, though not for lack of trying on the bastard's part. Last I heard he'd left. Just up and walked away, leaving me behind. Good riddance," Russel spat. "But Cardin still looked out for me, let me stay at his. Told me I could earn money to make a life for myself and not to pay for my dad's. Helped me train, too. Brought me up to the level I am now and even helped me get into Beacon."

"He sounds like a good friend…"

"He is," Russel agreed. "Not a perfect guy, even I know that. He's got faults, believe me. But as a friend, as a team leader? No one fucking better. Not for me, anyway. Figure it would be different for you. Different lives and all." He shrugged.

"I guess…"

"You've got a lot of friends down there, too," Russel said. "A lot of friends as good to you as Cardin is to me, and they're moping around because of what you said. What you're doing."

Jaune's eyes fell. "Russel, I can't. Café Prime-"

"Is just like my Dad. Bullies. The bigger person. Someone who makes the rules, is the law, and who you don't think you can fight because they're bigger, older and have power over you." Russel bit down on his lip as he shook. "Fuck, I thought I was over this." He sighed. "Thing is, it's different but it's the same. They're the same. You've got the same problem I had. You've learned to be helpless."

"I _am_ helpless here."

"So was I. I needed someone bigger and stronger to help drag me out of that hell. I couldn't do it on my own, and you can't do it on your own here. You need allies." Russel nodded at the floor. "Whole lot of them down there. More than I had."

Jaune's eyes were fixed on the floor. His shoulders rose and fell.

"You only get the one chance to make a decision," Russel said. "Sucks, but that's life. Whatever you decide here, you're gonna have to live with for the rest of your life. If you really think it's hopeless, and you accept that, then go home. But don't ever look back and wish you could have tried it the other way, because if you do, you'll regret the decision until the day you die. But ask yourself first if that's what you really want, or if it's just what the bullies want you to _think_ you want."

Russel pushed off the wall and made for the door. He opened it, but paused in the doorway, back to Jaune. His shoulders were rigid, stiff. It was obvious he'd never thought to share this. Not with Jaune. Probably not with anyone but Cardin.

"My Dad wanted me helpless because it made him feel better. Stronger. But I wasn't helpless." He sighed. "I just thought I was. Think on that."

Russel closed the door.

Jaune slumped onto the sofa and let his head fall into his hands. Russel's story, apart from making Jaune sick and angry, left him weak legged. It wasn't the same, surely? But sometimes, right now for example, he felt as helpless as Russel must have. Was he actually that way, or had Café Prime just made him feel it?

And what was he going to do about it?

/-/

The diner was silent and moody when he made his way downstairs. Some looked towards him, only to turn away when they realised who it was. Velvet and Russel were serving, but it was in silence and their hearts weren't in it. The decorations around the room felt flat and lifeless. Dull.

Team RWBY were sat around a small, round table. They were quiet, Ruby with her head down, Yang and Blake on their scrolls and Weiss spinning a spoon around a cappuccino which was, by now, ice cold. They were listless.

Swallowing, Jaune made his way over. He came to a stop by the table, though none of them seemed to notice. He cleared his throat. In the silence, it was enough to make Team RWBY flinch.

"I…" The words caught in his throat. What _did_ he want to say? "I want to apologise for what I said earlier. I didn't mean to snap at you, Ruby."

"Y-Yeah." Ruby wilted. "I shouldn't have said you were giving up. You… You've fought hard. You've always been fighting them. I just… I was just so frustrated. So angry. Not at you," she quickly said. "At them. At what they're doing."

"I know."

"I just don't want this place to be shut down," she went on, voice cracking slightly.

Jaune's eyes watered. "Y-Yeah. You and a lot of other people."

"And they're trying to take that away! And for what? Money! Or reputation, or just business." Ruby's hands shook. "It's not fair!"

"It's not," he agreed. "I realise that more than anyone since it's my livelihood they're taking down. But… I just don't understand why you – why everyone – is so desperate to help me. I know you're all my friends, but… that wouldn't change if Jaune's closed," he said. "I'd still be your friend if you'd have me. So, why is Jaune's so important?"

Ruby was lost for words.

Oddly enough, Blake was not. "Because it's ours."

He was surprised she, of all people, answered. "What do you mean?"

"This is _our_ place," Blake said, lips tugged down into a frown. "It may belong to you, but we meet her almost every day. We have our table, something so regular people leave it empty because they know we're coming. Russel and Velvet know our order off by heart. Gambol Shroud sits in the same spot on the rack every day, along with everyone else's weapons. It may seem like nothing, but Jaune's is a part of our routine. It's a part of our lives, just like Beacon or Vale."

"It's comfortable," an older huntress by the window said. She was looking out it, chin on her hand, elbow on the table, but she spoke nonetheless. "It's my regular. I don't want to change it."

"It's the only place that has all these blends," someone else said.

"I come here after every hunt. It's how I relax and get back into being in civilisation."

"It's my morning fix of caffeine."

"It's the only place I can go with a weapon and not be stared at. It's place for huntsmen and huntresses like us."

"I met my girlfriend here!"

More and more, the customers replied. Memories, anecdotes, little things they liked. Jaune's head spun. Eventually, the baton was passed to those he knew best, those from Beacon, who were just as quick to answer.

"You helped my sister break out her shell," Yang said.

"It's a place to relax," Weiss said. "Something I can get in so few places."

"You helped me when I needed it most," Blake added. "You employ faunus. You don't _care_ about the faunus."

"You helped me meet Velvet," Pyrrha said. "Helped me make friends, and through that realise where I was going wrong and make up with Russel." The champion grinned at her partner, who rolled his eyes, grunted, but did nod back.

"You gave me a job when I didn't deserve it," Velvet whispered. "I learned to open up here. I _like_ working here."

"I can try a new blend every day," Ren said, "And you put up with Nora."

"Hey, what do you mean `put up` with me?" Nora protested.

It came back, as always, to Ruby. "Jaune's may be something you started up, but it's become more than that. It's _our_ place. Our place to relax, have fun, meet people and eat cake. They're not just trying to take something away from you. They're trying to take something away from us!" Ruby slapped her small hands down on the table. "And I don't even _like_ coffee! It's horrible!"

A couple of the other patrons laughed loudly.

Jaune laughed, too. Laughed with wide, shocked eyes.

"That's why it's not just you who wants to fight them," Russel said from behind him. "You might think it's you against them, but it's not. It's them against every single customer you've ever had, with your regulars making up the front lines. So," Russel cocked his head to the side and grinned, "You gonna let us fight, or are you going to give up?"

Jaune's breath caught. If Roman and Neo were here, along with the Malachites, he was sure their message would have been no different. Probably just applied with a slap to the back of his head, or if it were Miltia, a solid blow to the stomach.

While he stood there, the suited man from before stood and approached him.

"I have no such memories to share, but I have to say your service thus far has been exemplary. If you ever did expand to Atlas, you could count me among the first of your customers." He extended his hand a second time. "Richard Grey. Solicitor. Grey & Sons."

"I… don't have enough money to hire you…"

"My fees have already been covered. For quite a few weeks."

With everyone watching, with Team RWBY nodding vigorously, Pyrrha smiling, Russel standing cross-armed and Velvet hugging a silver tray to her breast hopefully, Jaune knew he was done. With a rueful smile, he reached out and took the man's hand.

/-/

Lisa Lavender dug through public council records, her fingers a blur as she flicked each sheet back, looking for the one she was after. Stupid archaic systems, she thought angrily. She was fairly sure they'd chosen to make the records paper just to make it harder to find what people were looking for.

"Ah, there you are." She drew one out, recent, and began to read through it.

The document was the formal sales record of a property on Walker Street, and also proposed plans to transform a storefront with extensive renovations. Such things had to be approved by the Council, or more specifically the Local District Council for the area. The actual Council of Vale didn't have time to consider every little thing, so such bureaucracy was passed down the chain.

It was a nightmare for some, especially if you wanted to do something that was considered "at odds" with the cultural or practical theme of a street. Some people, for instance, wanted to install a balcony or a conservatory onto their houses, but an application to do so could be denied if your house would be the only one with a balcony. Not out of any sense of fairness or not, but because a single house in a long line with a balcony would look out of place.

It applied to other things too, including decorations, store fronts, expansions, roof height and more. It was a bureaucratic nightmare at the best of times and something a journalist like her didn't really have to deal with. She rented her apartment in downtown Vale, and so didn't have the rights to make any large changes even if she'd wanted to.

But Café Prime? Well, they had the lien. And they'd transformed three adjoined shops into a large diner on Walker Street, knocking out walls to do so, and installing a big glass-fronted unit to the shop. That was a big thing, and since it would drastically change the view of Walker Street, it had to be approved. That it had been so quickly was something. Money talked, and tax from a big company like that was important, but still…

"Hm. It's been signed," she mumbled. "So, it _was_ approved. Local Councillor Matthieu Auber." Lisa recognised the name, if only vaguely. Wealthy background, career politician – but never successful enough to rise up to the main Council. He didn't make many waves. Watched his back. No scandals to his name, but then no exciting news to _help_ him advance, either. He was the definition of a "safe" politician.

Curiously, Lisa noticed another document filed beside the one she'd been looking for. It was Matthieu's signature which caught her attention, and her initial theory busted she pulled it out and had a read through.

Approval for road works on Walker Steet's far end, opposite side from Café Prime. Nothing exciting, just a mention that their previous construction company had said the roads needed to be replaced at some point, and the Local District Council approving and organising it. Still, the timing was odd. Real bad, actually. With the Vytal Festival approaching, Lisa would have thought the Council would be trying to keep as much of the city open as possible. Not close off entire streets. The shops down that way had to be livid. True to her thought, there were several complaints filed with it. Each was signed to say it had been read and catalogued. Matthieu's signature again.

"Not much point to a complaint if the one being complained against is the guy reading them," Lisa grumbled. "Politics, seriously. You can't write this shit."

It was while she was pulling those aside that Lisa noticed the construction report, likely from the last people to work on the street. It was official-looking and boring enough, including picture evidence of the pipes they'd been sent into fix and replace. It was signed multiple times at the bottom, once by the construction crew to say they'd done it, once to say the Council approved it was done correctly, another to say the construction company had received payment and so on. Below that, their estimated date for when it should be checked up on again.

Lisa paused.

The date wasn't for another two years.

But if the roadworks weren't immediately necessary, why run the risk of angering so many voters to get them in _while_ the Vytal Festival was going on. These weren't expected to be finished until a couple of weeks after it ended. Lisa dialled a number on her scroll.

" _Ugh. Lisa. I just woke up. Why…?"_

"Robert, it's nearly three in the afternoon." She rolled her eyes. "Look, I need a favour. Need you to look into someone for me."

" _It pay?"_

"When does it not? I'm sending you his name via text. Get me some details back asap and you'll get a nice bonus." Lisa ended the call and typed in the details, sending the message off. She tapped her foot impatiently, checking her watch and staring down at the files. Again, if these were computerised she wouldn't have to sit here twiddling her thumbs. Damn bureaucrats.

Ten long minutes later, her scroll beeped.

"Finally," she groaned. Robert had come through, as usual. "Matthieu Auber. Age, yeah, yeah. Position. Ooh, getting divorced, are we? Didn't advertise that. Meh. Nothing I can use without sounding like a bitch. Family-"

Lisa's thumb paused on the screen of her scroll. Her eyes lit up.

"Well, well, well. Isn't that interesting."

Sister: Mercedes Sterling (formally Auber).

Brother in Law: Alexander Sterling.

/-/

"And then they just kept saying why they loved it here." Jaune ran a hand down his face, but there was no quite hiding his smile. "I didn't know what to say. It just hit me, you know."

"Nope," Roman replied, one leg crossed over the other. "But if it worked out, great. Stops me and Neo having to be the ones to beat some sense into you." He looked over to Neo, who was pouting. "No, dear. That doesn't mean you _can't_ if you want to. Just means we don't _have_ to."

"Hey," Jaune complained. "I don't-OW! Neo, why!?"

Neo, having already driven her elbow so far into his ribs it felt like she'd massaged his lungs, smiled adorably and cocked her head to the side. A finger came to her lips, as if she wasn't sure _what_ he was talking about.

"You just hit me!"

Her face slowly tilted the other direction, kind of like a confused puppy's.

"No. No, you don't get to pull that!"

It tilted the other way.

Jaune huffed and sat down, cradling his side. Neo grinned and plopped down beside him, content to devour her ice-cream in peace now that he'd been appropriately punished. "You realise I can still report you to the police," Jaune grumbled. "You're technically criminals."

"Not even technically and believe me if the police could do anything they'd have caught me years ago. I'm hardly subtle."

"Yeah." Jaune looked Roman up and down. Neo was no better. "I can see that…"

"Ass," Roman said good-naturedly, swinging for Jaune's head. "If you didn't make such good coffee, I'd not spare you my wrath. I'm a deadly criminal or something."

"Or something. Anyway, how do you rate my chances? Honestly."

"Eh. I'd say fifty-fifty."

Jaune was impressed. "That good…?"

"It could fly either way. They have the law on their side, but you'd be surprised what public opinion can do for that. It's those in power that make the laws, but they stay in power by keeping the people happy enough to vote for them."

"But I don't have _that_ many customers. I have a lot, but hardly enough to make a difference politically."

"You'd be surprised, kid. And it's not about the numbers that come here. Prime are acting like bullies, and if there's nothing people hate more it's a bully. Underdog story, on the other hand, resonates. People don't have to know you or even have visited to feel offended at what's going on. People can be pretty stupid like that, but it helps you this time, so it works out."

"How is feeling empathy stupid?"

"It's stupid because they feel it based on information they haven't confirmed themselves. For all they know, you're lying, and Café Prime is in the right, but they see it the other way around because the newspapers are phrasing it that way. Not like it matters since it's the truth either way, but there you have it."

It made sense, he supposed. Not here, though. Like Roman said, the newspapers were telling the truth and Café Prime _were_ throwing their weight around. Jaune let out a long breath and sipped his late-night coffee. Soft, smooth and deliciously sweet, he wondered if it was more so _because_ of the fact he should have, by all means, been evicted by now. The deadline had passed. And yet here he was, refusing to move.

It felt good.

Though he wouldn't admit that to Roman. The crook would probably tease him and say that was why being a criminal was so appealing.

"You know, there _is_ something you're missing here," Roman said.

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Style."

"Style." Jaune was unimpressed. He looked Roman up and down. "You're talking to me about style."

"Hey. I make this look good. I've won _competitions_ as Vale's most eligible bachelor."

"The women who voted must have been insane," Jaune decided.

"Heh. I'm a bad boy, handsome, charismatic and dripping with mystery."

"But not modesty, I notice."

Neo snorted around some ice-cream.

"Why lie and pretend I'm any less fabulous than I already am?"

"Sure." Jaune rolled his eyes. "But what does that have to do with me?"

"If you're going to make a stand, you need to do it with style. You need to have panache, impact, flare. The old criminal families, they knew how to get things done – but not just in terms of murder and drug dealing. They knew how to _look_ impressive while they were at it. They could send a message people wouldn't forget and do it without leaving any evidence of a crime."

"I'm not some Godfather, Roman."

"No. You're the Coffeefather-"

"Not a word."

"-And if you're going to war, you better damn well make a grand proclamation."

Against his better judgement, against all common sense _and_ the little voices – good (Ruby) _and_ evil (Yang) – telling him "No, please no", Jaune leaned forward. His smile was wide, excited, and filled with teeth.

"Tell me more…"

/-/

The door of Café Prime, Walker Street, dinged electronically as it was opened. A bored-looking teen with a black apron emblazoned with a stylised gold cup of coffee stepped forward, "Welcome to Café Prime, can I interest y-"

He cut off.

The man who had entered wore an apron like he, but it was a bright green colour – one known to those who worked at Café Prime, even if few had ever seen it in person. Their contracts prevented such, banning them from being seen publicly attending the venue of a competitor. Even so, the teen balked at who had entered with a small cardboard container.

"Sir, you can't-"

"I'm here to see Alexander Sterling. He should be expecting me."

"T-The Director is in his office."

"That's fine. I'm really just here to deliver something. I need to get back to work." The blond man made his way through the diner, past the closely-packed seats and tables and the customers, civilians in a myriad of suits, casual outfits and more, who watched him curiously.

Those that worked at Café Prime stood stock still, unsure what to do as the man approached the counter.

He reached it without being impeded and placed the cheerfully decorated cardboard box down. "Delivery for Sterling," he said to the girl behind the counter. "He should be expecting it."

"Um. What should I tell him?"

"Tell him it's my response to the chats we were having before."

The man then smiled at the tired girl, nodded once, and turned on the spot to walk away. He whistled a jaunty, if off-key, tune as he did. He nodded again for the teen at the door before he opened it and stepped out onto the street. The electronic jingle played once more. After a few seconds, customers shrugged and went back to their coffee.

The girl at the counter looked down at the box curiously. It was green with some images of leaves on the edges and some neat cursive script reading "Jaune's" in the centre, etched in black. The edges of the box were folded in on itself and it was not unlike the containers _they_ used to let people take food away. Curiously, she popped the container open and drew the lid back.

Inside, a single Styrofoam cup of coffee sat snugly in its holder. It had an aromatic scent, something she didn't recognise. Their coffee was all of one brand and the smell of it was a constant and unpleasant thing for those who worked with it for six or more hours a day. This smelled nicer, though saying so could well lose the girl her job. Something bobbed to the surface of the coffee. It wasn't a sugar cube, nor a marshmallow.

It was a scrunched-up pink document, rapidly turning to mush.

* * *

 **Not a horse's head in the bedroom, but message enough perhaps. The Coffee Wars have begun. May Vale still be standing once they are done. "It's beginning," Ozpin whispered, clutching onto Oobleck. "May the Gods have mercy on us all."**

" **Cry havoc and let slip the beans of war."**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 30** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	32. Chapter 32

**More than a little ill today. As a result, this took a depressingly long time to write compared to usual. Just spent ages staring at the screen and not really seeing the words. Just thinking, "I'm not sick enough to actually BE sick or need the doctor, but just sick enough to be unable to focus."**

 **That annoying middle-ground ill.**

 **Weirdly, it's my eyes that feel worst – as if they're balls of cotton wool or something, always fuzzy to look through, itchy and tired. I'd self-diagnose, but we all know how ridiculous that is.**

 **Probably Ligma**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 32**

* * *

Sign nothing. Believe nothing. Agree to nothing.

Three simple pieces of advice from his new solicitor which Jaune had to follow, and when he'd asked if he shouldn't `say nothing` as well, the solicitor said it wouldn't matter as anything he said would be inadmissible in court anyway, providing he didn't go insane and start threatening to kill Sterling, his family and his family's family dog.

Basically, dig down and wait things out.

Jaune could do that. He had it down.

"I've got the cakes ready," Russel said.

"I don't believe you and I'm not signing anything."

Russel stared at him. "What?"

"Sorry, automatic response. Cakes? Yes, great." Jaune paused. "Shouldn't you be at school today? It's Monday."

"Free training days with Vytal approaching."

"Then… shouldn't you be training?"

"I'm not going to sit back and miss out on anything that happens here. If Café Prime are going to do anything, they'll try and do it fast. I'd rather be around in case they do."

"Sure, and I'm touched, but-"

The door jingled as it opened. "Hi Jaune!" Velvet said. "Hi Russel."

"Hey Vel," Russel replied.

Jaune sighed. "Don't you have-"

"Free training days."

"You guys." Jaune rolled his eyes but couldn't quite hide his smile. "Sometimes I wonder if you want to be huntsmen at all. Don't blame me when you do so badly you get knocked out of the Vytal Festival and come crawling back here in tears."

Russel snorted. "Zero expectations on me. First years against fourth years, and besides, I have Pyrrha on the team. She's worth at least three of me. I think I'll be fine."

"Easy for you to say," Velvet whined. "You can lose and it's fine. If we lose, and to a first-year team like yours? No one's going to say it's okay because of Pyrrha. Team CFVY will be a laughing stock for getting trashed by newbies."

"I'll brew you a conciliatory coffee."

"Ass!"

Jaune laughed, "Alright, you two. Settle down. And thanks for coming in today, even if you didn't have to. I appreciate it, what with the journalists and all."

"They're still here?" Velvet looked to the front entrance, but it was, for once, blissfully clear.

"Not yet, but considering Blake's video of that guy trying to subdue you is doing the rounds…"

Her eyes widened. "It's what!?" she squeaked.

"You didn't realise?" Russel barked a laugh. "Vel, you're like, internet famous. Between that first interview with you looking like some adorable and innocent girl, and then the second of you standing up to someone twice your size and pinning them down, people love you. You should see some of the comments."

Velvet's ears drooped.

"Or maybe you shouldn't," Russel backtracked. "They're a little… well, you know how people can be online. Let's just say you have a lot of fans. Some of them, uh, a little more `fan` than others."

Velvet whimpered.

"It's the ears," Russel said. "Or the fact you look like you need protecting. Yeah, that quivering lip look right there." He glanced away from it. "Shit, that's powerful. A-Anyway, might want to stop that in case people see, or we'll have to rebrand from a huntsman diner into a maid girl one."

Velvet's face turned bright red and she ran away, hiding behind some of the coffee machines as she busied herself with the morning preparations.

"Was that really necessary?" Jaune had to ask.

"I think it kinda is, man. One of my teammates literally asked me to set him up with her last night. Better she knows what's going on than freaks out if someone asks her out today." Russel eyed Jaune cheekily. "She's not the only one doing the rounds online, you know. A certain someone has already been on the news enough thanks to your interviews, but people have been rating you on forums, too."

"Spare me the details. I'd rather not despair over how random people see me."

It was probably inevitable, given that Café Prime had made him something of a public figure thanks to their stunt. Not what they'd been aiming for, that was for sure. Still, if what Russel said was true…

"We'd best prepare for a rush today."

"A really fickle rush," Russel agreed. "That's the real reason I came in. We're going to get a whole load of one-time visit gawkers coming to take a look at the internet celebrities of the day. Good profit, but a pain in the ass."

Jaune sighed and started to stack some menus.

"Well, we'd best get started…"

Two hours later proved just how much of a prophet Russel could be.

Jaune smiled as best he could, arm around a young girl's shoulder as she pressed her face to his and snapped a picture on her scroll. Her friends giggled and waved goodbye as they left, leaving without buying so much as a single cup of coffee. Jaune's cheek muscles stung. Was it possible to stretch a muscle smiling? It certainly felt so.

It wasn't much better for Velvet and Russel, but especially poor Velvet, who had been forced to pose with numerous people through the day. The girls weren't so bad, nor, to be fair, were _most_ of the guys. But then there were those who clearly liked her a little more than they ought to, despite never having met her before.

Those, he or Russel had to step in between.

Poor Velvet. She was handling it well, but the sudden popularity looked to be something she wasn't much appreciating. Jaune couldn't say he was, either. As Russel said, it left Jaune's a lot busier than it normally was on a Monday, but it didn't feel right.

He'd done this to serve coffee, making a friendly atmosphere and serve people. This felt more like they were running a stand at one of those conventions. Despite his solicitor's insistence on not signing anything, he'd been made to sign numerous autographs.

Him, a barista! It didn't even make sense!

"And why are you smiling so much?" Jaune asked Pyrrha, and he was perhaps a _little_ brusque with it.

To be fair, Pyrrha looked like she'd won the lottery, face a mix of raw joy and some strange peace, as if all the questions of the world had just been answered and life could _not_ be better than it was at that very moment. Considering his current situation, it was not an expression Jaune was willing to let go.

"I'm just happy," she said. "It's strange, but, no one here cares about me. I'm old hat."

"And this is a good thing!?" Jaune groaned.

"Yes, it's grand! I get to see someone else going through what I do, and better still, you'll have understanding of just what it's like for me." No explanation of _why_ him having understanding was a good thing from her point of view. "And so will Russel. It's like dream come true."

"And Velvet?"

Pyrrha's smile fell. "I _do_ feel sorry for her…"

"Just not for me."

"I feel sorry for you, too," she said, touching his arm. Her sympathy vanished. "But I feel happy to have someone who understands what it's like, more than I feel guilty." She shrugged, and at least had the kindness to say, "Sorry about that."

"Wow… You're some kind of ass…"

"Coco keeps telling me to stop trying to be nice all the time. I should be myself."

"And `yourself` is someone who takes pleasure in kicking a man while he's down?"

"Well, I _did_ go into tournament fighting," she said with a teasing grin. "It's a viable strategy. This is why our date got interrupted the last time, though. Everyone recognised me in the takeout place. Being popular isn't as fun as some people seem to think it is."

"Y-Yeah, I can see that."

Jaune laughed and turned away, more to hide his expression than anything. She'd said date. He hadn't missed that. The ideas batted around between Ruby and him on their sleepover rushed through his mind, things about possibilities, what could be, and things he hadn't thought possible before.

But Pyrrha thought that had was a date?

It hadn't been. Not at all.

Or at least, he hadn't thought it was…

Jaune's heart beat a little faster. He busied himself preparing a cappuccino for someone behind the counter, sliding a mug out onto a pristine white saucer and drawing several deep breaths, letting each go as they came.

Stepping out into the melee of customers and diners, Jaune took the drink to a lonely table in the corner, occupied by a man in a dark-red hoodie, drawn up over his head. He was hunched, but not uncomfortably, more like someone who wanted to distance themselves from the louder elements of today's customer base.

"Here you go, sir," Jaune offered the drink.

"Thanks," the redhead said, accepting it. "It's busy today."

"It's not normally like this…"

"I can imagine." A smile ghosted at the corner of his lips. It was odd, somehow, for the man's face didn't seem one used to smiling. "I did happen to see a little video online…"

Jaune groaned. "Not you, too…"

"Not me," he chuckled. "I was more impressed with the girl standing up for herself. And in defence of you."

"Velvet. And she was standing up for herself. She likes it here."

The man nodded. "You treat her well."

"Why wouldn't I? She's an employee, but she's also a friend."

"Most businesses prioritise profits over the wellbeing of their staff."

"I don't."

"I know." The man sipped the cappuccino. "I wouldn't come here otherwise."

A commotion off to the side caught Jaune's attention, someone having been a little too touchy with Velvet. She hadn't struck them, but pulled away violently, and it looked like a few other people were taking issue with the guy who had done it.

"Excuse me," Jaune said, already moving. "I need to deal with this."

/-/

Adam watched the human go. He'd seen the tussle starting and prepared to move himself, but they seemed to have it in hand. The faunus was no pushover, either. He could see it in the way she moved, even if some of the empty-headed fools gawking over her could not. She wasn't like his Blake, not even close, but she had that quiet confidence, not in mannerisms but in how she moved. Adam watched the blond man break it up before it could get worse. He smiled and sipped his cappuccino as the man sided with his employee and asked the touchy man to leave, then threatened to throw him out when he would not.

 _He_ didn't move like a predator. The man, Jaune, moved like a regular civilian. Even as he squared his shoulders here, it looked more like a peacock puffing up, a display to intimidate without any substance behind it. The other boy, the huntsman, moved close in case his boss needed it.

But the girl, the faunus, she _glared_ over her boss' shoulder, making it clear that if this wretch harmed her employer – or tried – she would not let it stand.

Chuckling, Adam turned away and focused on his drink.

He'd seen the video, of course. Trawling crap online was hardly his normal routine, but the video had spread through the White Fang like wildfire, and why not? A clip of a young faunus girl bringing an arrogant and much larger human to his knees was practically what the White Fang preached. It was their eternal struggle against human oppression that all too often came from the rich, the powerful and the large corporations, Governments and more.

The rank and file loved it. Adam had spotted several laughing raucously over a scroll, and that was how he had come to see it. The newbies, rookies in name and practice, had been almost too eager to show him what they were looking at. Adam had laughed along with them, enjoying the simple way she dismantled the larger man.

But Adam saw deeper, too. Deeper than his fellows who laughed only at the violence, the look on the man's face or the thought of them bringing their own demons low like she had. Adam looked and saw the reasons behind it, the motives.

He liked what he saw.

The girl was no White Fang material, no matter what some of the grunts were saying. She wasn't soft, far from it, but rather she was content. Faunus happy with their lot didn't shack up with terrorist organisations. Didn't risk their lives. Some called them race traitors, and Adam agreed on some level with that, but only for those who accepted being lesser, who wanted to hide away from the truth.

There was no treachery in finding or fighting for your own piece of happiness, and then wanting to hold onto it. This girl had that in her job here, obvious from how she acted and smiled, and it was also obvious from her action that she was prepared to fight to keep it.

Good for her. Like a true fighter, she'd found what she wanted and was ready to stand her ground to keep hold of it. The White Fang had nothing more to offer her, and Adam wished her well. If only more of his people could be like that.

It reminded Adam of earlier times, better times. Not better for the faunus – they'd been pushed down ever since he was a child – but better because things had been, if not easier, simpler. Back then, all that seemed to matter was finding their own little bit of happiness. Fighting for justice, fair treatment, the right to matter.

Kind of like this girl had found.

If only it were that easy for the rest of them…

One diner that treated its faunus properly wasn't enough to change a world. It was a start, a boon, a delight to find and see happening before his eyes, but it was still just one place. The rest of Vale was as bad as it had ever been, and, in Adam's mind, he'd expected this place, Jaune's, to go out of business. Or be pushed out by larger rivals. He supposed that was why the video appealed to him so. Proof that even in the darkest of times, little glimmers of hope remained.

The underdog, as the faunus had ever been, but instead of being punished for daring to fight back, this faunus had been accepted. It was why he'd had to come today, if only to prove to himself that there could be _one place_ in Vale that wouldn't turn their back on his kind.

Little wonder Blake loved this place.

Adam's eyes closed. He sighed, shifted and brought up one hand to cover his face, the other bringing his still warm cappuccino higher. It tasted bitter for a moment, unlikely with how much sugar he'd added. His thoughts always turned bitter where she was involved. A part of him hated her for it, even as another part tried to convince himself it wasn't her fault.

"Need to stop thinking about it…"

Less on the past, more on the future.

Not that the future was looking much better, all things considered. There was Mountain Glenn coming up, a mission that felt entirely too much like a suicide one. As that witch put it, there were plenty of his men fanatical enough to give their lives for the cause. Finding volunteers wouldn't be hard. If only that were his issue.

Attacking Vale…

It would put the White Fang on the map, make them impossible to ignore, but it would also make them targets. Hated figures, and with good reason. There were certain targets you just didn't fucking go for. Hospitals, schools and the like, but Beacon Academy had to be top of that list. The only group helped by their fall was the Grimm.

 _And Cinder_ , he thought. _That witch has something to hide. Never should have trusted her._

Heh. No. That wasn't right. He didn't trust her now and never had, but it was the same problem. He'd made a deal with her, a deal with the devil, and back then, with Blake beside him, it seemed like a risk he was prepared to take. Selling his soul for faunus rights would be fine so long as Blake was there beside him.

How the world could change in so short a time…

"Another drink, Adam?" Jaune asked, having returned.

He looked up through bleary eyes. The boy looked worried, perhaps even concerned for him. Ha. What a joke. He doubted the boy would feel the same in time, when the depths of Adam's cruelty were on display. The proof of just how far he'd go. Or perhaps how lost he already was.

But, until then…

"Yes. Another, please."

/-/

"You know, there's the school dance coming up."

Jaune paused in cleaning out a mug to look at Ruby. He figured he had a solid grasp on what their relationship was, but the question was so out of left field that he had to ask, "Are you asking _me_ to be your date to a school dance?"

"No!" She laughed and punched his arm. "I might as friends, but this is a date thing so that would be weird. I'm going on my own."

He'd figured as much. Ruby didn't strike him as the kind of girl to be into guys, and not just because of her age. Fifteen-year-olds dated just as much as seventeen; they were just clumsier about it. Ruby didn't really care for anything outside of being a huntress, though.

"Vytal Festival and a school dance. That's a busy calendar."

"The ball is _for_ the festival," Ruby explained. "It's the Vytal Festival Ball. And the schedule is no busier than yours, Mr works all day and is also a celebrity."

"I'm not a celebrity." he groaned. "Not a real one anyway. Give it a day. This nonsense will wear off."

"Probably, but I'm going to milk it until it does." Ruby grinned and waved the little photo she had of him and her, which she'd made him sign. Apparently, on the off-chance it might become valuable memorabilia later in life. Jaune didn't think it would, but Ruby said she didn't lose anything by giving it a shot.

There was a reason Blake was absent today, no doubt hiding from the furore she'd accidentally unleashed.

"So, will you be going to the dance?" Ruby asked.

"To _your_ school dance? No, I don't think so…"

"Why not?"

Jaune sighed and looked to Yang, who was listening in with a grin. "Am I missing something here, or has Ruby's brain not kicked in yet?"

"Bit of both, bit of both." Yang laughed. "The dance is for people at Beacon, but I don't think there are any rules against people from outside coming, as long as they're invited by a student. If it was just a Beacon dance it might be different, but this is for the festival, so it's open to people from other schools, who might have partners not at either school. It's possible you could attend. If you wanted, that is."

"I kind of have bigger things to think of at the moment. I don't think this Café Prime business will be over before your dance."

"It's in the evening, though. You could still attend."

"You seem awfully determined I attend," Jaune pointed out. "Are you sure you're not asking me out?"

Ruby's cheeks flushed, and she squeaked. She made to protest, only to see the grin on his face. The moment she did, Yang and Jaune burst out laughing.

"Meanie!" Ruby growled, hitting both of them for good measure. "I was asking because… you know…" She made some eye gestures.

Jaune followed her eyes, but they were aimed at a wall. He looked back. "I really don't."

"What we talked about before? The sleepover?"

"Blake's books?"

Ruby groaned and covered her eyes. "Nooo. I mean the… ugh. You and maybe someone who might like you. I thought you might want to ask them to the dance. The person we talked about?" Ruby looked to Yang and away. "You know…"

"Uh, no offence, but this someone isn't me, is it?" Yang asked nervously. "Not that there's anything wrong with you, Jaune, but-"

"It's not you," he said.

Yang's obvious relief was only a little insulting.

"Who is it, then?"

"No one," Ruby replied.

"Pyrrha," Jaune said at the same time. At Ruby's look, he shrugged. "Yang would have figured it out. Or just bothered us until we told her. Easier to just get it out there. Besides, Pyrrha left an hour or two ago."

"I guess…"

"Wait, you mean that's supposed to be a secret?" Yang asked. She rolled her eyes. "Jaune, Pyrrha's interest in you is about as subtle as Alexander Sterling's. Though the other way around." Yang grinned. "You hope, anyway. Hey, have you actually tried-"

"I'm not asking Sterling out on a date."

"Boo. Lame."

"Whatever you say, Yang. But about this being obvious…?"

"Ugh. Geez. I forget you're about as blind as Ruby on these things. Pyrrha acts _completely_ different around you to how she does with anyone else. Like, utterly different. Smiles more, laughs more, talks more, and little things like how she dresses better, sits close to you and tries to catch your eye."

Jaune coughed into his fist. "She just always seemed that way to me…"

"Ugh, how can you not notice?"

"Maybe because Jaune doesn't get to _see_ the other side of her?" Ruby pointed out. "It's easy for us to say Pyrrha acts different, but we see her in Beacon. Jaune _only_ sees her here, and like you said, she acts different. He's not blind. This is just the only Pyrrha he knows."

"Pretty much," Jaune agreed. "I thought she was always like this."

He'd always assumed Pyrrha was this outgoing because, well, what else did he have to base it on? She was nice to a fault, at least to him, and it had been a complete surprise to find out how Russel didn't get on with her. Or used to not. They were better now.

"So, she doesn't act like this in Beacon?"

"Not even close." Yang had quietened down a little and seemed to have let the teasing go. "Yeah, I suppose you wouldn't know. Not like you see it. Pyrrha is… she's nice, but distant. Like someone who is polite for the sake of being polite, but never really gets to know you. She's better now, way better since she made friends with Velvet, met us here and started to open up, but she _used_ to be terrible."

"I don't think she meant to be mean, but she came across quite cold," Ruby whispered.

Jaune couldn't believe it. "Pyrrha did!?"

"Not on purpose," Ruby assured him. "It's more that she was uncomfortable with you, but she hid it. You couldn't tell and all you knew for sure was that she didn't like you, didn't want to talk to you, but was doing so because it was polite. Knowing her better now, I know it's because she was shy, but at the time I thought she just didn't like me. Or thought I wasn't worth her time."

"Same opinion here," Yang said, drawing his attention. "I mean, she's famous and everyone knew it, and she played into it without meaning to. Made it seem like every time she talked to you, she was putting up with you like you were a rabid fan. Probably because she thought we might be."

"A self-fulfilling prophecy," Jaune said.

Yang nodded. "Yep. She was so sure we'd see her as famous and unapproachable that she held herself back, making her seem unapproachable. It only got worse from there. But she was way more open around you, and it's probably because of you that she made up with Russ in the first place."

"And you think that's because she likes me?"

"Well, she _did_ make out with you at Junior's place."

"S-Sure." Did everyone know about that? Ruby was proving as useful at keeping secrets as a strainer kept water. "I just don't think it's the right time for me to be asking that kind of thing."

"Why not?"

"Well, Café Prime for one. And the festival for you guys. Everyone's got so much to focus on, and even though I've agreed to _fight_ them, there's no saying this will work. If there's a chance I'll be forced out of Vale, I wouldn't want it to come from me being distracted chasing after a girl…"

Ruby's sighed. "I guess…"

"And it would be even worse if I had to separate from someone because my business went under. I'd have to leave Vale. I think I'd rather not be with someone than be with them for less than a month, then have to break up."

Her face fell even further.

Jaune rubbed the back of his head. "It's not that I don't appreciate you trying to help, it's just… let's focus on one thing at a time. Okay?" Jaune looked up as the clock on the wall chimed. It was already getting late, nearly nine. "It's pretty late. Do you have lessons tomorrow, or is it another one of those `free training days` that no one seems to take seriously?"

"Hey," Ruby complained. "We were hard training this morning. Who wasn't?"

"Russel and Velvet."

"Russ has Pyrrha, that's hardly fair. And Coco has a minigun."

"And you have a sniper scythe thing," Jaune said, fairly sure calling Ruby's baby a `thing` was going to earn him some grumbles. "If there's one thing my mom always said, it's that it's not the size of the tool that matters, just how you use it."

Yang snorted.

Ruby pouted. "I don't think she was referring to weapons, Jaune."

"Probably not, but it's good advice nonetheless."

"Hardly even applies. She can fire _hundreds_ of rounds in the time it takes me to shoot one."

"And yours will count more."

" _Hundreds_ , Jaune. Hundreds!"

"I'm sticking to my argument." Despite not knowing as much about fighting, guns or anything. It was what a good friend was supposed to do, maybe. He rubbed Ruby's head. "I have to clean and lock up. You two head off back. I'll see you tomorrow or Thursday."

"Yeah, yeah. See you tomorrow," Yang stood and looped her arms under Ruby's shoulders. "Come on, sis. You're not going to convince Jaune to see things your way. I doubt he even knows what calibre rounds you use."

"High calibre," Jaune guessed with a smile.

Ruby's strangled whine suggested he might have gotten it wrong.

With the last two hone and Russel and Velvet having called it quits hours ago, Jaune started to flip chairs up onto the tables and hustle some of the last mugs and saucers away to be set in the washer overnight. The day had been about three times as busy as usual, but only about one and a half times as profitable, mostly due to a lot of those coming just being curious about him, Velvet and what was going on with Café Prime.

Maybe that was why he hadn't seen or heard from Sterling all day. He was either holding back, knowing that to show his face would only make things worse, or maybe Café Prime was having its own problems. They might have had as many visitors, except looking for drama instead of selfies. He might have felt bad for the staff working there, but, well, that wasn't his fault. He hadn't been the one to start this, nor escalate.

Really, Café Prime could stop it at any time. At this point, he had to wonder why they kept trying. Pride, perhaps? Or was it that they were in too deep, and to retreat now would be seen as a sign of weakness. There really was no telling.

Behind him, the bell above the door chimed.

/-/

"Do you think I was too forward?" Ruby asked.

"Hm?" Yang looked down with a smile. "What do you mean?"

"On Pyrrha. Do you think I pushed too much? I didn't mean to make him feel bad…"

Maybe it was none of her business. Okay, it was _definitely_ none of her business, but it just felt like Jaune had everything and everyone trying to drag him down lately. A little good news would have done him well, and really, she just wanted to take his mind off everything that was happening.

Yang's hand fell on her shoulder. "You did fine, sis. I don't think he was upset or angry." She grinned. "More embarrassed than anything, but if I'm reading things right he wasn't _against_ the idea. Just… not in the right mind for it now."

"Because of how busy he is?"

"Because of how _worried_ he is," Yang corrected. "He's hiding it well, but you can't blame the guy for still being a little afraid of everything going on. Even with everyone helping, there's still a chance Café Prime just wins. Sure, they've done some pretty bad stuff that's got them in trouble on TV and the like, but they're still a legal company. They can just ignore it, deal with the pain and try to force Jaune out."

"But Weiss' lawyer…"

"Is still just a lawyer, Ruby. He has to follow the law."

Ruby bit her lip. She'd really thought it all but sorted now, a formality. Weiss' lawyer would swoop down, kick Café Prime's butts and win Jaune back his building, his career and that job security Weiss often talked about.

"I wouldn't be too worried," Yang said, seeing her panic. "Weiss' lawyer guy looked confident, and he knows the law better than you or I do. If he's confident, it's probably for a reason. I'm just sayin' that it's fair for Jaune to be afraid still. Poor guy probably doesn't want to bring relationship drama into that, not to mention the chance Pyrrha shoots him down."

"She wouldn't!"

"No, but he doesn't know that. Or maybe he does," she said, shrugging, "But he's so panicked, he's convinced himself she might. Think about you at the start of Beacon, practically _certain_ you wouldn't make friends. You still managed it, but you had that same panic period."

"I guess." Ruby let out a long breath. Jaune had helped her there, not in any big way, just in talking to her and letting her practice on someone in a one on one scenario. Having proved she could befriend him, she'd been more confident with Weiss.

Which hadn't worked out initially, but hey – they were a team now. An awesome team.

That was a success.

"Do you think I should go apologise?"

"Apologise? For what? I just said you didn't upset him." Yang held Ruby's gaze for a few seconds, before she let out a long sigh. "Alright, fine. Whatever. You head on back and I'll hold a Bullhead for you."

"Thanks, sis!"

"Yeah, yeah. Go do what you think you have to."

Ruby nodded and darted back the way they'd come, using her Semblance to cover the distance in a fraction of the time it would have otherwise taken. It was late enough that the streets were empty enough for it.

When she reached Jaune's again, Ruby came to a slow stop. The lights were still on, which wasn't unusual, but there were multiple figures visible within, mere shadows from a distance, but it wasn't nearly as empty as it ought have been.

 _What if Café Prime is back?_ Ruby thought. _What if they hired more goons to hurt Jaune._ Her hand tightened on Crescent Rose, but she didn't deploy it. Not yet. They weren't fighting inside, and she didn't want to be the one to start it with Jaune so close. Instead, she crept toward the front window, keeping low so that anyone inside would struggle to see her out. The difference in light from within and without helped, leaving those inside with a limited view through the frosted logo on the window. Reaching it, Ruby ducked low and placed her eye against the bottom corner, peeking through curiously.

Jaune was there, with three people in front of him. It didn't look like an attack, not with Jaune standing there so calmly, and they weren't in suits like the nasty lawyers and that Sterling guy normally were. One of the people wore a grey and black jacket and there was a girl with green hair, along with another, much taller. Ruby could only make out her dark hair and red dress. She looked vaguely familiar, though only in the sense that Ruby thought she might have seen them before in passing. She couldn't place any of them. It might have been easier if she could see their faces and not just the backs of their heads.

They were talking to Jaune, and Jaune was talking back. Mostly to the taller woman. The others were just sort of standing around.

 _He knows them, so there's nothing bad going on._ Ruby relaxed a little, about to stand and leave. She didn't want to interrupt him if he was busy. Before she could, however, another figure – infinitely more recognisable – stepped out from the back room, directly from Jaune's apartment.

"Ahhh…" Torchwick's loud sigh was audible even through the window. "That's better. Never let it be said that Vale has enough public restrooms. Or at least ones I'd trust myself to breathe the air of."

Roman Torchwick?! Was Jaune being robbed? What was she supposed to do? She'd fought him alone last time and nearly lost, and if these people were allies of his, it would only be worse. Still, she couldn't leave Jaune in trouble.

Reaching for her scroll, Ruby was about to alert Yang when the tall woman spoke.

"You're an irritate as ever, Roman. You should be thankful Jaune puts up with your childishness. I suppose it's up to me to apologise in his place."

"It's okay," Jaune said with a little laugh. "I'm used to it with him."

Jaune…

He knew them…? Knew Roman…?

"I know it's short notice, but we need your service this coming weekend. It's a matter of some importance. And perhaps, if things go well, for something else as well. The same deal as last time, the use of the diner as a conference room. Same rate, if you're interested."

 _Say no,_ Ruby begged, confused and, if she dared admit it, a little hurt. What the heck was Jaune doing talking to Roman, let alone people who worked _with_ Roman? He was a criminal. _They_ were almost certainly criminals as well.

"Sure." Jaune's easy acceptance nearly drew a cry from her. "Just let me know what time and I'll have everything set up."

"We'll be bringing a guest. Of sorts. He will behave, I shall make sure of it."

"That's fine. I'll put an extra seat out."

"I appreciate it." The woman chuckled. "You're as reliable as ever, Jaune. It is good to have someone in Vale I can do business with on even terms. We shall meet at the same time as the last, with much the same service required. Until then, I'm going to be busy. The Vytal Festival is coming up and there is much to do."

Torchwick, planning something around the festival?

Ruby tried to move closer to the door to get a better position to listen in from. As she stepped across the landing, her foot crunched some gravel beneath it. It was quiet, but had come at the worst time, a lull in the conversation.

"Roman," the woman said, "Go make sure there aren't any fools loitering outside."

"Sure thing, boss."

Crud! Ruby's heart leapt into her throat, but she was quick to move. A flash of her Semblance and she was around the nearest corner, pressed up against the wall there a few good seconds before Torchwick stuck his head outside. Holding her breath, Ruby listened as he hummed inquisitively, no doubt looking around.

The door closed, the chime of the bell sounding with it. "Nothing, boss," his voice said, fading away as the door shut.

Boss.

The woman was Torchwick's boss. And she was talking to Jaune, making _deals_ with Jaune, and he was okay with it. He was okay standing in a room with a dangerous criminal and someone else who was apparently much worse.

The bell on the door jingled again, someone else stepping outside. Ruby cursed silently, trying to stay hidden, but footsteps made it clear someone – or two someones – were spreading out, covering the angles, probably to keep watch. Left with no choice, Ruby sped down the side of the building and away, out through the alley and onto another street.

Jaune didn't seem to be in any danger, but she still couldn't understand why he'd be talking to criminals. She bit her lip, gnawing away as she tried to think up an answer that didn't make him look bad. It was hard, real hard. Jaune didn't sound afraid and they didn't sound like they were threatening him. Not even close to it.

The indecision tore away at her as she retreated, taking what information she could and falling back to the nearest Bullhead dock. Yang was waiting, as promised, with a Bullhead behind her.

"You find him?" she asked.

"A-Ah?" Ruby flinched. "Um, yeah."

"What's wrong? You look bothered. Don't tell me it went wrong?"

"N-No. Jaune was busy. He had guests. I didn't want to interrupt."

"This late?" Her smile turned teasing. "Was it Pyrrha?"

"No…"

"Then who?"

Roman Torchwick. Wanted criminal. Other criminals. Criminals planning something around the Vytal Festival, no doubt up to no good, and which Jaune was aiding.

"N-No one," Ruby said, eyes ducking low. "It's nothing. Just some people. Let's go back to Beacon."

Yang let it go, though Ruby couldn't quite do the same. Not yet. All the way back, and even in Beacon, slipping back into their room, Ruby turned the scene over in her head, trying to absolve Jaune in some small way. She had to tell someone. Ozpin, the police, Uncle Qrow. But to do so would be to incriminate Jaune. He'd get in trouble. Café Prime would use it to eat him alive, shift public opinion and grind him into dust.

But if she didn't tell anyone and something happened…

 _Jaune. Why…?_

* * *

 **Uh-oh, Ruby.**

 **Café Prime biding their time, too. Not exactly a good time for them to act with their last error going viral. They're presumably on dull defence dealing with that, while other things go on in the background.**

 **To those asking, I haven't watched anything from season 6 yet, and probably won't until it's over and I can go through it in one go. Seasons 4 bored me and Season 5 depressed me. I'm open to Season 6 turning things around. Hell, I really want it to! Despite that some people seem to think I'm totally against Rooster Teeth and want it to fail, I would benefit both as a fan, a writer AND on a financial scale by RWBY being the best series ever. I'm definitely not wanting it to go badly.**

 **I just fear them trying to double down on things S4 and S5 have already shown aren't popular. Like, please, please don't try and force this Oscar x Ruby thing. Apart from being creepy as all hell, Ruby has never really shown any interest in romance, so it would feel super weird for her to go "Huh, I was never interested before, but now, after Pyrrha DIED and Beacon fell, I'm suddenly thinking this is a GREAT time to start dating. And why not the complete stranger who has an old man in his head, who may or may not BECOME Ozpin in time? I can see no problems here."**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 13** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	33. Chapter 33

**Note is on other fics, but repeating for those who only read this:**

* * *

 **As those who read White Sheep and Relic will know, I had to rush my mother into hospital after she suffered a heart attack. She is still in there being tested and they're unsure when (or if) she will be able to come home. As such, I am spending time at the hospital every day with her and my writing has and will be impacted until things settle down.**

 **Rather than not update chapters, I'm going to take to writing some slightly shorter ones. Hopefully, this will only impact for a week or so, but it will depend on many things. She may be released come Tuesday or Wednesday, but she may not be.**

 **This is a note to let you all know.**

 **I could take time off writing, but right now I need the distraction it gives. If thing get worse, deteriorate or she dies, I may need a week or two off to recover. I shall let people know if such occurs.**

* * *

 **On Trolls**

* * *

 **Secondly, as some have noticed there is a silly little troll trying his luck in the reviews. He posts as "anonymous reviews" but types in someone else's name as the reviewer, hoping to incriminate them. Mostly, he seems to be lashing out at a Mr Grimjaw and Canuck72, but he has also imitated other reviewers, mostly posting half-assed racist comments or trying to provoke arguments. Just ignore it, but also keep in mind that it is NOT the fault of those he pretends to be.**

 **They are innocent, and the troll likes to imagine his childish comments will lead to them receiving hate PMs or being banned or something.**

* * *

 **Update:** The operation did not happen Monday and will not happen today, but she is booked in for Wednesday. It is my hope that all will go well, and I'll be spending Thursday helping to get her discharged if she is able to be.

This will mean that White Sheep will be a short chapter, but Relic and onwards may be back to normal length. It depends on if everything goes well or not.

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Interlude**

* * *

Mercury tapped his fingers on the table and pondered as to whether he cared if Vale fell or not.

His first instinct was to say no, and not for any real reasons. Vale just wasn't a place he cared about, and he was casual enough to lump however many people lived here into that same field. Sure, he intellectually knew it would be a shame for all of them to die, _if_ they all died or not, but he wouldn't pretend it bothered him when it didn't.

Did that make him a sociopath? Maybe. Emerald certainly felt so.

Mercury wasn't quite so sure. A sociopath was someone who couldn't understand the feelings of others, or so the definition went. He wasn't sure if that applied here or not. He could understand why the people of Vale might not want to die by Grimm, terrorists or bombs under the streets. It didn't take a freaking genius to grasp the "why" on that one.

He just didn't care.

Sociopathic? Maybe. Mercury figured it just made him honest.

How could you expect someone to care about something that didn't affect them? He had no family here, no friends, while a whole lot of other people did. It was totally understandable they'd hate him for what he was involved in, but where had they been when _he_ was being tortured by his own father? Nowhere, that was where.

To be fair, Cinder hadn't been anywhere at the time, either. He'd dragged himself out of that mess, and only agreed to go with Cinder and Emerald because they found him exhausted and spent outside the Black home.

It wasn't really a good time to turn down her offer.

So, here he was, working for Cinder – the benefits were good, and both she and Emerald were smoking hot – planning to blow up Vale and fuck off a load of people. Why? Gods knew. It was above his pay to ask. He just did what he was told to.

Still, he hadn't expected to find something he actually _liked_ in Vale.

"Here you go~" the girl before him smiled prettily and put a caramel cappuccino down in front of him, along with a small bowl of marshmallows and chocolate chunks. The heart-attack in a cup was enticing, though not quite as enticing as her pretty brown eyes and svelte figure.

Mercury grinned back up at her, "Thanks, babe."

Her cheeks flushed, and she huffed, unimpressed with the term of endearment. That was fine. He liked the way her irritation flashed in her eyes, turning demure and delicate rabbit girl to dangerous and annoyed, right before she turned and flounced away.

He wasn't sure if Velvet realised it, but she swung her hips when she flounced. Mercury certainly noticed.

"Ah. Coffee and a show. Perfect."

"You're a pain in the ass," Emerald grumbled from beside him. "Not to mention a chauvinist pig. Try that again and I'll do her a favour and stab you myself."

"Now, Em. There's no need to be jealous."

"Just try it, Merc. Keep digging that hole."

Normally, he would have, but doing so would have required more talking and let his sugar rush cool down. Instead, he looked around surreptitiously, to make sure no one important was watching, and then dumped the _entire contents_ of the chocolate and marshmallows into his mug. Some coffee seeped over the edges.

"Ugh. I can feel my arteries clog just _looking_ at that thing."

"No one's asking you to drink it." And to be honest, he'd fight her if she tried. Mercury took a long sip, then nibbled a soaked and chocolate-covered marshmallow as he drew back. "Hmm. Delicious."

"You're fucked up, Merc."

 _Not as fucked up as you,_ he thought. At least _he_ was only doing this because he didn't see much other choice. Emerald _wanted_ to kill all these people. Or she didn't, but she saw it as the best way to get what she _did_ want. Mostly, Cinder's respect, though Mercury wouldn't have put it past Emerald to want a little more. Heh, he'd pay to see those two go at it.

"Somehow, I know you're thinking something that's going to piss me off."

"Yep," he admitted, no shame at all. His eyes followed Velvet's derriere a little further. He really didn't get why some people disliked faunus. Some of those purity types would literally jerk off over a girl in a bunny outfit but give them a _literal_ bunny girl and they'd hurl abuse. Hypocrites. "You think she's up for a round or two?"

"In the ring, maybe. If her boyfriend doesn't get you first." Emerald nodded toward the other waiter, the one with the mohawk, who was watching Mercury carefully.

"He's not her boyfriend."

Emerald sighed. "It disturbs me that you've stalked her enough to notice that."

"Hey, not my fault if you don't pay attention. Besides, it's a little rich for you to accuse _me_ of looking at some prime ass. Your eyes are practically glued to Cinder's-" Mercury cut off as a spoon tickled the underside of his chin. "Seriously? What are you going to do with that? Scoop me to death?"

"I'll give it my best shot." Emerald's face was red. "And shut the fuck up. I've no idea why I'm out here with you."

"I said I was coming here, and you love the place."

Emerald sighed. "Yes, that would be it…"

"To be fair, Cinder likes it too," he said. "First time I've ever seen her treat someone with actual respect, and not because they have something we need. I'd say she had the hots for Jaune but, well, kinda obvious she doesn't."

"She finds it… relaxing, I guess. Ever since I've known her, she's never really been relaxed. She's always moving, always doing something."

"Hmm."

If he were honest, he didn't really care. Again, Emerald would call him a sociopath for it, but why should he care about Cinder, Emerald or anything else? He was in this for himself and only loyal to them because he had to be. Cinder hardly care about him, so why should he for her? He doubted Cinder cared for Emerald either, other than as a useful tool.

Still, Mercury wasn't sure if he cared about Vale.

It was 99% no, but the 1%, the diner, the people in it, even the hot waitress…

Well, he cared about them more than he did _destroying_ the city. Not a hard thing, considering how uninvested he was in Cinder's plan anyway. A hot piece of ass and a friendly smile was all it took to get him chafing. Coffee with chocolate and marshmallows enough to tempt him to defect entirely.

Was that a bad thing? Probably. It certainly was if Cinder or Emerald caught wind, but Mercury had been raised – if one could call what his father did raising – by an assassin, a killer for hire. That was someone who was loyal only to money.

And, well, Cinder wasn't exactly paying him…

Adam had his ideology, which Mercury personally thought was stupid, but which he could at least understand. Hell, he'd killed his Dad for treating him like a punching bag, so he could get behind faunus wanting to do the same. The logistics were a bit harder, sure, but Mercury could at least appreciate why the guy was motivated.

He understood Roman, too. Money, self-interest and survival. All nice, understandable things to focus on. The bigger problem was, Mercury wasn't sure what _he_ wanted, nor why he'd never put any thought into it before.

He'd just sort of… drifted along previously.

"Don't hurt yourself thinking too hard," Emerald teased. "Or is it that your brain has been overwritten by sugar? It was bound to happen sooner or later."

"I'll have you know I'm nothing _but_ sugar, spice and all things nice." He ignored Emerald's snort. "But I was just thinking how it'll be a shame to lose all this when we move on." He was subtle, but Emerald got the gist of it.

"Yeah, it's a shame. Not much we can do about it, though."

Mercury personally thought there was a _lot_ they could do about it. He just wasn't sure if he wanted, ought or should do something. He also wasn't sure why he suddenly cared when he never had before. Nowhere was home, everywhere was alien.

And yet something about Vale, or just _this_ diner, had become familiar.

Comfortable.

From the drinks to the table, to the regulars and even the cute waitress who would scrunch her nose up at his flirtations. Silly, he knew, but it was what it was, and he wasn't sure he was all that thrilled at the prospect of giving it all up.

Not for no discernible reward.

"Yeah," Mercury said, evading the topic. "Real shame…"

/-/

"Miltia!" Melanie slammed a fist on her sister's door.

"Fuck off!" Miltia's voice came back. "I'm busy."

"You've been locked in there all day. What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing!"

Melanie sighed dramatically and looked toward the ceiling. As if she couldn't hear the lie in that simple word. "You've been acting strange all week, Mil. You've barely come out, barely worked and not even visited Jaune's once. Something is up, and I'm going to find out what." Melanie hooked out a hairpin and knelt by the door, jimmying the lock open. "I'm coming in."

"No, wait!"

Melanie didn't. The second the lock was forced, the pushed her way in, wary for a claw across the eyes as she did. There was no need. Miltia's weapons were on the dresser, unusual since it was gone noon and she _always_ kept her weapons close.

Then again, nothing was `usual`, it seemed. Not when she saw Miltia, rude, rough and quick to fight Miltia, in a bright pink dress, skirt coming down to below her knees, white stockings and a bow in her hair, which had been curled into ringlets.

Melanie's mouth fell open. "T-The hell…?"

Miltia's face went bright red. "Get out!"

"What the… Miltia, what are you doing?" Melanie pinched her arm, just to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. Nope, the pain was there. "Is that… Are you wearing a petticoat under that? Is that tulle!? Uh, the last century called, Miltia. They want to know what you're wearing."

"S-Shut up, you bitch." The voice, if not the general appearance, was the same, but somehow the insult lacked its usual vigour. Probably because Miltia looked like a dweeb. The innocent, cherub-like outfit did _not_ go with the angry green eyes and fearsome scowl. On the other hand, Miltia had even lost her red eyeliner, replacing it with a darker tone.

With a sigh, Melanie moved forward and pushed her sister down on the bed, running her fingers through Miltia's curly hair. "What have you done to this? You didn't even curl it properly, not to ask _why_ you did it in the first place. Is this why you've been hiding away in here? I can fix this in fifteen minutes, you know."

"Not that…" Miltia grumbled.

"Hm?"

"Shorter hair," her sister whispered. "I read it looks softer if short hair is curled."

"You read…?" Melanie's eyes swept over the crimson bedding, easily spotting the fashion magazines strewn across it, open at certain pages. She couldn't make out the text, but they were the worst of the `girly mags`, the ones so patronising that grown women wouldn't bother, more designed for schoolgirls with crushes and the like.

Not that Miltia would have known.

"Why are you so worried about looking softer?" Melanie asked, smoothing the other girl's hair out. "You've never had a problem with being like you are before. Besides, I thought you _liked_ having short hair. You always said it was easier to deal with." Melanie had kept hers longer, the differences in length being one of the easiest ways to differentiate them.

"It's not as feminine…"

Melanie raised an eyebrow. "And since when is that an issue?"

Miltia's voice fell to a murmur. "Pyrrha has long hair…"

"Oh my… Is this about Jaune!?"

Miltia's silence was telling.

"It is! Oh, _Miltia_ …" Melanie swept down to hug her sister from behind. "What's gotten _into_ you? Curling your hair, dressing like… like some country girl who has only heard of fashion as a word thrown around in ancient legend. And you're doing all this for a boy…?"

"Shut up!" Miltia stammered, cheeks red.

"Yeah, real convincing. So, why do you think you need to be more feminine? You look like me which, I might add, means that you're hot as hell. You know it, I know it, and the guys who constantly ask us out know it."

"That's different."

"Is it? The Miltia I know wouldn't have hidden away in her room for a week solid. I wondered why you kept sending Junior's goons out for the order. Don't tell me you've been hiding from Jaune, too. What's he supposed to think?" Melanie's eyes trailed down her sister's arms. "Where are your gloves?"

"On the side…"

Melanie spotted them quickly, next to what had to be an entire _collection_ of moisturisers, skin creams and more. "Reverse signs of ageing?" she read. "Miltia, you're not even twenty. You don't _have_ signs of ageing."

"It's for the calluses…"

Another roll of the eyes followed by Melanie snatching up her sister's left hand. The skin was smooth and soft, but her fingertips were marked, as were Melanie's. They weren't huntresses, but they got their hands dirty and it showed. Some of Miltia's nails were chipped as well, though she'd cut them down and smoothed them out as best she could.

"You realise Pyrrha's hands will be no different, right? You're not exactly competing with a supermodel here. She's a huntress."

"Yeah, but she's feminine," Miltia groaned. "She's tall, full figured and… and nice! I'm a bitch."

"Miltia…"

"I am! And I don't fucking care, but he's not going to pick someone like me over here, is he? Short hair, constantly swearing, look like I'm about to shank someone if they piss me off. Take these away and you could mistake me for a guy," she added, gesturing to her breasts. "I'm not feminine, ladylike or graceful. Even you've got that more than me. Fuck, I fight with _claws_ , Mel. I'm more like a wild animal than a woman."

"Those aren't necessarily unattractive traits. Guys like women who can be animals, especially in bed."

"Yeah well, I'm not sleeping with him, am I?"

"You could."

"He wouldn't."

Melanie sat down, leaning against her sister's shoulder. "What makes you say that? Because you're not ladylike enough?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"Too outgoing? Too quick to joke, take the piss or even insult someone? Not demure or sensitive?"

Miltia's eye twitched. "Yeah."

"An absolute bitch who doesn't take any shit and won't change for anyone? Who would sooner kick a man in the nuts, stand over him and tell him how _you_ want things to be?"

"Yes, Melanie. I get it."

"Someone who would, if she were invited to a party, get drunk, cause a ruckus, get into a fight and then drag a guy she likes off to the corner to make out with?"

"Fuck, Melanie. Yes. Yes, yes yes, I'm a fucking stupid shit. I get it." Miltia growled. "You don't have to spell it out for me, okay? I know what I'm like and I know Jaune isn't like that. Mister innocent virgin doing his best, honest businessman and all-around `nice guy` who wouldn't be seen dead with a bitch like me. I get it. Thanks for spelling it out, skank."

Melanie laughed and poked her sister in the cheek. "I don't think you do."

"Eh?"

"You're all of those things and more," Melanie admitted with a shrug. "You're also pretty cantankerous, critical and high maintenance, which is hilarious because you _think_ you're not. You have a shitty sense of humour and you get angry at the littlest thing. And talk about having no patience whatsoever."

Miltia growled. "Yeah? Well, fuck you, too."

"But Jaune already _knows_ all those things," she continued, ignoring Miltia's bile. "He knows it, has gotten to know it, and has put up with it for _weeks_ now. He _knows_ Miltia – bitch – Malachite, and better still, he _likes_ Miltia – bitch – Malachite."

"Yeah," Miltia grunted, "As a friend…"

"You think there's that much difference between friends and lovers? He was `friend` enough to make out with you, and `friend` enough to blush every time you brushed up against him when you were dancing. Trust me, you've got a load of problems, but being in the friend-zone? That's not one of them." Melanie laughed. "And what do you think will happen if you show up like this? Pretty princess Miltia with curled hair, a stammer and a pair of shoes that twelve-year-old schoolgirls would call conservative? He'll think you've been kidnapped and brainwashed!"

Miltia smoothed her hair down self-consciously and hid her shoes under her knees. "Oh, fuck off…"

"I'll tell you what, though. You _will_ lose if you hide away from him," Melanie said, deathly serious. "He's going to think you hate him, or that he did something to annoy you. Worse, Pyrrha isn't going to give up just because you do."

"Yeah well, maybe she's better for him…"

"Honestly… she probably is."

Miltia flinched and looked down, no tears, but lips pulled into a painful grimace.

"She's kinder, nicer and more likely to put up with his boring job," Melanie went on. "She's also got funds, resources and the kind of fame that can help him do well. It's no lie to say she'd make a better wife or mother if things went that far, either. No offence, but you're not exactly settling down material."

"Y-Yeah…"

"But _fuck that_ ," Melanie snapped, surprising her sister. "People don't make the best decisions and life isn't about making the optimal choice. You want to give it a shot, go for it. He'll pick whomever he likes more, whoever _excites_ him more. And I don't know about Pyrrha being nice and feminine where you're not, but you've got things she doesn't, either."

Melanie poked her sister's shoulder. "You've got that edge. The sense of danger. You're the adventurous type, the one who teases, the passionate one. She's nice, sure, but nice is boring – you know that. You're the bad girl, and guys dig that."

Miltia's eyes narrowed. "Yeah…"

"And since when do you give a shit about what's right or wrong? You're Miltia Malachite. You _take_ what you want."

"Yeah."

"You're not feminine. So what? You think Jaune would know what to do with a woman? He's going to need someone to show him the ropes. And these aren't the dark ages; women can be just as dominant as men. You want him, don't you?"

"Yeah!"

"Then go _get_ him!"

Miltia surged to her feet. "YEAH! Fuck this shit, he wants to get me in the mood and do nothing abou it? He can damn well handle it." Her eyes burned. "Shit, Pyrrha's got the edge. You think she's made out with him since our night out? Nah, that's not her. I'm going to walk in, grab him by the collar and push him up against a wall while _everyone_ watches." She licked her lips. "I need lipstick. And perfume. I want to leave a _mark_."

Her sister was already nearly at the door before Melanie could snag her arm, halting her. "Wait!"

"What? Isn't this what you said I should do?"

"Not that," Melanie said, nearly laughing. "Your hair, your clothes. Let me at least straighten those curls out first. And maybe you should go in something that _doesn't_ make you look like Little Bo Peep."

Miltia looked down at herself, gasped, and immediately started tearing the frilly pink dress off her body, ripping it badly in the process. She lost the battle – and what little patience she had – halfway through, lunged for her claws and cut the thing to ribbons around herself, growing the whole time. The shoes went out the window, the petticoat into the bin. Miltia marched to the dresser naked but for black lingerie, and instantly pulled out a pair of thigh-high boots with giant heels.

Melanie couldn't stop grinning.

Finally, her sister was back.

* * *

 **Some background from what's been going on with Miltia – she was supposed to be absent while she deals with something of an identity crisis, but there never seemed a good time to have a scene from her PoV. Meanwhile, Mercury offers some of his thoughts on things.**

 **Not much else to say.**

 **I'll be visiting my mother early Thursday, so I should know by the release of the White Sheep chapter whether she is okay to leave or not, and what the long-term diagnosis is. White Sheep will be another short chapter as a result, but I'll be able to say for certain in it whether this will continue or not.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 27** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	34. Chapter 34

**Here's the chapter, back with full-length chapters since my mother is out of the hospital.**

 **I suppose this chapter would still be rated T, but has a warning for a certain someone's potty mouth.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 34**

* * *

Ruby paced back and forth in her room.

"We're going to Jaune's," Yang said from the doorway, saying the name like it was a hint she ought to respond to. Yang waited, clearly expecting Ruby to be knocked out of her funk. "Nothing? Hello, Remnant to Ruby. Are you coming in?"

"Ruby," Weiss said. When she received no response, she tried again, louder. "Ruby? Ruby!"

"I've got this," Yang said. "Look, Ruby! A mecha-scythe with a ballistic missile attachment!"

Ruby paused, looked up, and then started to nibble on a lock of hair. She whispered something under her breath and went back to pacing across the room.

"Huh, I really thought that would work."

"Oh, let's just leave her be," Weiss said. "If she has things to think about, we shouldn't interfere."

"Shouldn't we at least ask if something is wrong?"

"If you think you can get her to hear you, be my guest."

Yang spared one last look for her sister and sighed, giving up on the idea. "Alright, fine. Ruby," she called, "We're off to Jaune's for a bit. If you change your mind and want to come, either catch up with us or send us a message." When there was no response, Yang rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll send _you_ a message so you can read it when you're out of whatever funk you're in."

Blake, Yang and Weiss gave her a last moment to respond before shaking their heads and leaving.

The moment the door closed, Ruby paused and let out a short breath. Finally. How long did she have to keep that up before they got the hint? Ruby sighed and slumped back onto her bed, idly scratching Zwei's ears as he leapt up to place his forepaws on her knees, looking up at her inquisitively.

"I'm okay, boy," she said. "Just… a lot of things to think about. Things that aren't easy to think on when everyone else is talking. You understand what I mean, right?"

Zwei barked, either understanding perfectly or just being happy to be talked to. She could never tell, but his joy helped prop her spirits up a little anyway. Ruby giggled and dragged him up onto the bed with her, laying back and stroking his head idly as he leaned against her side, under her armpit, and panted away.

Torchwick and Jaune. Torchwick, Jaune, and a whole lot of other people who were obviously up to no good. The meeting she'd briefly overheard kept playing in her head and she couldn't get rid of it. Worse, she didn't know what to do about it.

Conventional wisdom said she ought to tell someone. Probably the headmaster or Miss Goodwitch, maybe even Doctor Oobleck if she didn't feel confident enough going to the first two. Or there was the police, or even just her Dad, sister of teammates. If she told any of them, they'd take it out her hands and do the rest for her, saving her the mental agony. It would be easy and, more importantly, not her fault whatever happened. She'd just be a concerned citizen and aspiring huntress doing her duty.

But Jaune would suffer for it.

He'd be in a lot of trouble even if he didn't know who they were. The question of `how` he didn't know flashed through her mind, and she tried to push it away before it could take root. He had to not know. He just had to. There was no way Jaune Arc, her best-friend-who-was-also-a-guy (or just best guy-friend) was a criminal. It just wasn't possible.

For one, he was too nice.

Secondly, he was her friend!

Blake had been a criminal too, but she regretted it, so that was okay. Nice and simple. People made mistakes and Ruby had once stolen a cookie or two, or three – okay, way more than three – from the jar in her time and been told off for them. Seriously, she'd heard of being caught red-handed, but did Dad _really_ need to put red paint on the jar? Either way, she regretted those things, so that was okay. Blake did too, so that was that.

Jaune obviously didn't if he was still helping them. She'd have liked to say he was being forced, or just wasn't strong enough to say no, but it hadn't _sounded_ very forced. He was taking money for helping them, for crying out loud. You didn't pay someone you were blackmailing.

"I just don't know what to do, Zwei?"

At his name being mentioned, Zwei's head perked up and he scurried forward, pressing his cold nose to the underside of Ruby's jaw. She took it as a hint to keep talking.

"Jaune's a friend and I… I love him. Not like that," she quickly said, "but, you know, he's my friend. Probably my best friend other than Weiss. If I tell anyone, he's going to be in trouble. A lot of trouble."

The kind of trouble that might involve time in jail.

"He'd lost the diner for sure. Everyone's been trying so hard to help him keep it and it's a place everyone loves. If I'm responsible for it closing, people will hate me." Maybe not Yang, Weiss or Blake, but they'd still be disappointed – and others might not be so understanding. "Even if they don't, I'd hate myself," she said.

"Hrrrr…" Zwei licked her chin.

Ruby giggled. "Thanks boy, I'm glad you'd never hate me. But I'd still feel bad. Awful. Pyrrha would be hurt too, and Russel and Velvet would lose their jobs. We'd not have anywhere to go after the day ends or on the weekends, and even if Jaune later got out, he'd never want to talk to me again."

Not that she'd be able to blame him in that case.

"But if I don't, then doesn't that mean I'm in just as bad a spot as him?" She wasn't savvy on all the laws, but it sounded like aiding and abetting, or at least as TV shows made it seem. Even if it wasn't, she'd be complicit in anything that happened. "What if it's bad? What if it's _really_ bad? If people get hurt and I could stop it, then shouldn't I?"

The obvious answer was yes.

Ruby hated the obvious answer.

"Maybe there's more to it than I realise. Do you think that's possible, boy?"

"Arf!"

"You do?" Ruby sat up, not at all embarrassed to feel comforted by a dog's agreement. "Yeah, Jaune's no criminal. He's just trying to make things work out. There has to be something more going on."

"Arf!" Zwei wagged his tail happily.

"I need to find out what it is."

"Arf?" Zwei paused.

"No, no, it's perfect. I'll go on the night they're supposed to be meeting. I'll be all sneaky and listen in."

Zwei's ears flattened and his head drooped. He whined pitifully.

"What?" Ruby asked, scandalised. "I'll be fiiine. I can totally be sneaky, and even if I can't I'll just run away with my Semblance. No one would be able to catch me. But if I listen in, I can find out what's going on and stop them. That way, Jaune will be okay."

Zwei pawed her shoulder in obvious agitation.

Ruby crooned and rubbed his head. "Aw, Zwei. You're cheering me on."

The corgi growled and bit her hand gently.

"No, Zwei. You can't come with me." Ruby patted his head, ignoring the dog's obvious distress. "They said they were meeting this weekend. Not sure which day, but if I go Saturday and nothing happens, I'll know it's Sunday."

Incredible deductive skills. Heck, she was already a detective.

"If I sneak into Jaune's apartment, I'll be able to listen in." It wouldn't be hard, either. Jaune trusted her enough that if she purposefully spilled some coffee on herself and asked to dry her clothes off in his apartment, he'd let her. From there, she just needed to unlatch a window subtly and climb through it later. He'd never realise. "And when Torchwick and the other criminals come, I'll find out what their big plan is and stop it. Simple."

Ruby laughed and rubbed Zwei's ears.

"Thanks, boy. For a corgi, you sure come up with the best ideas."

Zwei laid flat on the bed as his master stood up and started rushing around, planning for her weekend of vigilantism. As she loudly planned what to wear, how to be sneaky and where she could find a voice recorder, Zwei hid his face under both paws and whined.

/-/

"No Ruby today?" he asked.

"Nope." Yang used her spoon to bring up a piece of whipped cream and caramel from her drink and licked it slowly and sensually. Her eyes remained locked on his, and when she was done, she smiled saucily. "Why? Disappointed?"

Jaune purposefully looked away before his cheeks could turn bright red. Yang was a bombshell and a half and so far, he'd avoided making an absolute fool of himself. For some reason, she'd decided to take that as a challenge.

"Not so much. I was just curious."

"Curious, hm? Sure I can't solve that for you?"

Blake rolled her eyes and stomped a foot on Yang's. It didn't do much due to aura, but it did earn a startled noise from the blonde. "I'd give than a six out of ten. Weaker than yesterday."

"What?" Yang squawked. "That was worth an eight at least!"

"A five," Weiss said, barely paying attention over the newspaper she was reading. "Jaune isn't even blushing."

Yang was horrified and quickly looked to him for confirmation. Jaune shrugged with a little smile, as Weiss said, not showing any discomfort at all. To be fair, he'd had the Malachites be _much more forward_ with their teasing. Yang's really didn't compare, even if she _was_ one of the most beautiful women he'd ever met.

"Wasn't forward enough," Jaune confirmed.

"Bah!" Yang crossed her arms and scowled, annoyed at being called out. Or just losing. "Maybe you're just getting more resistant. I'll do better next time. Anyway, Ruby's in a weird mood so she's not here. Maybe she'll come by later."

"A weird mood? What does that mean?"

"If we knew what it meant, it wouldn't be weird," Blake pointed out.

"Huh. I guess so."

"She's probably just got something in her head," Yang said. "She gets like that sometimes. Might be weapon-related. You ever heard her talk about weapons?"

Jaune grinned. "Only every single time we talk…"

"Yep. Well, you should see her when the mood to actually _work_ on them takes her. It's like talking to a brick wall. I've seen more responsive coma patients." Yang laughed and waved a hand. "Give it a day and she'll be back, probably whining about how Miss Goodwitch wouldn't let her install an inter-continental ballistic missile onto Crescent Rose or something. ` _But Miss Goodwitch_ `," Yang whined, in an approximation of Ruby's voice. "` _What if I need to shoot a Beowolf in Mistral!?`"_

"Alright, alright, I get it," Jaune said, cheering up a little. "Guess I'll send her a text later or something."

"Why? You two shacking up this weekend?"

"We're not like that."

"I meant hanging out." Yang rolled her eyes. "Trust me, I'd know if you were doing anything with my sister, and you'd know that I knew. You having another one of your sleepovers? Can I come?"

"No. To the sleepover part," he said when Yang made to protest. "I'm kinda busy this weekend."

"When are you not?"

"Wednesday," he joked. "But seriously, I have some other things going on this weekend that are going to keep me up overnight. You probably won't even see me during the day. I'll be catching some extra rest."

"Admin?" Weiss asked, curious.

"Something like that. Paperwork and tax returns."

"Tax returns are normally handled at the end of the year," Weiss pointed out. "You have six months remaining."

"I like to do things early," he said a little defensively. He couldn't tell them what he was _really_ doing.

"Leave him be, Weiss. Maybe he just wants to have some time to himself. After all, he's a growing man. Needs a chance to beat the monkey, am I right?"

Bloody Yang! Jaune's cheeks blossomed with colour before he could stop himself and Yang cheered, pleased to have finally gotten a reaction.

"Ten out of ten!"

"Seven," Weiss corrected. "It was a crude joke. Incredibly crass."

"Still blushed. I win!"

Jaune took the tattered remains of his dignity and hurried off to serve another table, laughing embarrassedly at the golf claps of those who had overheard. He made vague threatening motions back which everyone took with the severity they deserve, aka none.

It was all fun and games and, in a weird way, a lot of the regulars had come to know and appreciate that. Team RWBY were a common sight, as were a lot of other patrons. It wasn't unusual to see people nod or call greetings out to people they'd have never known if it wasn't for them meeting here, and sometimes the diner ran out of tables and people had to share. In any other place, they would have shrugged and gone elsewhere, but people were strangely willing to share here.

Maybe it was because they were, for the most part, huntsmen. Similar job roles made it easier to mesh with strangers, especially when you could discuss the latest Grimm movements or the Vytal Festival and be on an equal wavelength most of the time.

Either way, Yang's new game had become the latest source of entertainment for the sipping masses. Even Velvet and Russel got in on it, Velvet giving him a thumbs up and Russel miming the most sarcastic applause he'd ever seen.

"I could fire you both, you realise."

"You could," Velvet said, "But then who would go collect cakes from Marron in the mornings?"

"Me. I used to do this all on my own if you recall."

Though looking back, he had no idea how he'd managed it. He'd gotten used to Russel and Velvet's help and couldn't really imagine not having it anymore. There was an old analogy about one's butt filling to the confines of a chair. He'd gotten lazier for their help, but it was a good feeling.

"I don't pay you to watch me squirm. Go. Shoo. Do some work."

"Yes, my lord," Russel said, bowing dramatically.

Velvet curtsied.

Jaune waved a fist, though his smile betrayed him. Those two were real idiots. His smile faded when the front door opened and a familiar, and unwelcome, figure entered the diner.

Black suit, shiny shoes, a briefcase at his side. Alexander Sterling moved with a clarity of purpose, resistant to the numerous unflattering glares he received from the other patrons. Nothing overtly threatening, but the overall chatter in the diner lessened. People moved their chairs subtly to watch and while no one reached for a weapon, there was a sense of readiness.

Jaune would give the man credit, he didn't look intimidated by any of it. To mimic that, Jaune brought out a mug and filled it with a black coffee, pushing it across the counter with a small jug of milk and a bowl of sugar.

"Sterling."

The man nodded back. "Arc."

Separated by a counter and a basket of condiments and cookies, the two stared at one another, like titans from some movie, each prepared to draw weapons and shoot – except that weapons in this case might be spoons on Jaune's part and legal documents for his opponent.

"Why are you here, Sterling? I wasn't aware we had anything to talk about. No solicitors this time? No goons to attack my staff?"

Sterling bristled. "No." His lips peeled back as though he wanted to snarl, but he forced it down. "And I would like to apologise for what happened. It was a regrettable mistake."

A mistake? He very much doubted that. The only regret Café Prime had was that it had been aired to their detriment, and the mistake being that they'd thought Velvet _could_ be assaulted in that manner. He'd read some of the comments online. While most people were happy to see Velvet stand up for herself, there had been a disturbing few who cautioned that the `faunus were getting violent again` and that Velvet should have not fought back.

Thinly disguised racism at its finest. Naturally, those people had taken more of a shine to Café Prime as a result, which was both good for their business and bad. Good because it brought more customers to Café Prime, but bad because they really didn't want their business associated with anti-faunus racism.

That way led to the SDC, and everyone knew what the White Fang had done to them.

"I've come without threats today," Sterling said. "No solicitors, no arguments. In fact, I was hoping we might look to… work things out between us. The current state of affairs doesn't really favour either of our businesses."

The state of affairs which _they_ had started, Jaune wanted to say. He didn't. It would have been both petty and needless and, realistically speaking, wasn't this what he'd wanted? For Café Prime to back off and stop causing problems? "I'm listening."

"I'd prefer if we spoke in private, Arc. I can't really discuss it here."

"I'm working," Jaune returned, nodding to the full diner. "I can't go off to talk business at a time like this. We can talk upstairs in my apartment, but-"

"That would be fine. This shouldn't take too long."

Jaune paused, surprised that Sterling would accept so easily. Maybe Café Prime really _were_ looking to bring an end to this. If that was the case, it wouldn't do for him to try and drag it out. Sterling, for all that he was an arrogant asshole, was right. This bad blood between them wasn't good for business. For either of them.

"Russel, Velvet, can you look after things for a while?"

The two nodded.

"Alright, Sterling. Let's talk."

/-/

"I don't have all the machines up here," Jaune said, offering the man opposite him a simple instant coffee brewed in the apartment kitchen.

"It'll do," Sterling said, sat on one of the ratty couches opposite Jaune, the low coffee table between them. "I appreciate your agreeing to meet with me, especially considering our… past experiences. I wouldn't have been surprised if you turned me away."

Something about the contrite tone had Jaune's walls locking into place. Suspicion, even paranoia, came to the front of his mind. He didn't doubt for a second that Sterling was faking such remorseful words.

But he couldn't say that. "It's fine."

It wasn't. Not at all.

"I'm relieved to hear it," Sterling said, face as unreadable as Jaune's own. "We've not had the best of encounters, you and I. Business makes life complicated and competition more so. My job, my very role, requires me to act in an antagonistic manner towards you. If I don't, I'm not doing my job properly. I won't insult your intelligence by saying it was never personal. It's hard to distinguish between casual life and work sometimes. I'm sure you of all people know that."

He did. Just because the diner closed at ten didn't mean he turned off and stopped thinking about it, or that he stopped being friends with his patrons. "I understand."

"In a way, I respect you. A small business coming out of nowhere to challenge such an established player. Every businessman is a gambler in some small way, but I'll freely admit that I'd have not put money on you. I doubt anyone would. Tell me, were you even aware that we would be competitors when you started?"

"I didn't really think about it. I was looking for something to do and the only skill I had was making different drinks. Something passed down from my mother." Come to think of it, she'd never told him what the name of the place she used to work at was. There was a fair chance it had _been_ a Café Prime outlet.

"I thought as much. You acted with genuine surprise when I first confronted you. At first, I was insulted by it. I thought you weren't taking us seriously. Taking _me_ seriously." Alexander paused to sip his coffee. "That was an overreaction on my part."

An uncomfortable feeling overcame him, as if he were expected to forgive the man, say it was okay. After all the shit he'd been through however, he couldn't. He shrugged instead and busied himself in drinking a little himself.

Thankfully, Sterling continued, "We've butted heads continuously and that has led to some… unfortunate situations. Situations I never thought to find myself in, let alone be the cause of. My temper got the better of me and I began to forget that this is, at the end of the day, just business. You are not my enemy, Jaune Arc, no more than I should be yours. Business is business. It is often cruel and unforgiving, but there's no reason we should let that make _us_ the same."

"I couldn't agree more. Does that mean Café Prime will back off?"

"Not quite…"

Too much to hope for, obviously. "What then? Why come here? Just to tell me not to take anything you say or do personally, or is this an attempt to get me to publicly pardon the things you've done and help you save face in the media?"

"Neither of those things," Sterling said quickly, "I'm just trying to explain the reasons behind some of my harsher decisions. We – that is to say both myself and Café Prime – have clearly gone about this the wrong way. I suppose we have gotten used to our position at the top and that has made us both bull-headed and thuggish. You represented a threat but, in a way, you also represent a shift in the way things are done."

Jaune linked his hands together on the table. "That so?"

"It is. Café Prime has always been about convenience, about providing a good quality service at an affordable price in conveniently placed locations across Vale, and even the other Kingdoms once we expanded. You, however, have taken a different route. There is little convenience offered, no notions of speed or fast service. Instead, the emphasis is placed on quality, on variety – on a menu that is more expensive, more specialised, and yet caters to those who seek a more personal touch."

"I guess it is," Jaune admitted. "I can't compete with you on price or range."

"Precisely. You're a different breed, Jaune, and that shows. People appreciate the new and exciting aspects you bring. We should have recognised that, but the Board can be conservative at times, even resistant to the idea of change. To admit you were a threat would have spooked investors. Business practice dictated we deal with you as a threat, a foolish decision but one I was locked into."

Locked into? Sterling had seemed a lot more personally involved than someone just following orders, and even if this _wasn't_ personal, did that really change anything? Sterling certainly seemed to think so. Jaune was less convinced.

More than that, he was starting to wish his lawyer was here to offer advice. Or Weiss.

"We should have handled things differently," Sterling said, opening his briefcase. "I'd like to take a step towards rectifying that mistake."

He turned the briefcase around so that Jaune could see it.

It was filled with lien.

A _lot_ of lien.

"I'm not willing to sell," Jaune said instantly. "I told you that before-"

"We're not trying to buy you out," Sterling said. "Quite the opposite in fact, we want you to continue what you're doing. We want you to expand, to grow bigger, to succeed."

Shock coursed through him. "What!?"

"Our mistake was in seeing you as simply an enemy. Instead, we should have realised that your success was a sign that we should adapt. The problem is that we're a very large company, and change isn't easy when you need to establish it across four Kingdoms, more than a hundred branches and _thousands_ of employees." Sterling brought out a pinkish document and pushed it across the table. "Instead, we'd like to hire you."

Jaune's mouth fell open. "H-Hire me? But I have my own diner!"

"You'd keep it, naturally. Hire might be the wrong wording, let me explain. We think your vision for what the industry might become holds merit. We'd like to expand into the artisan market, but we can't. We lack the expertise and the flexibility. You, however, have both. What we're suggesting is that Café Prime and Jaune's stop working as enemies and start working together. A partnership."

Sterling brought out another piece of paper, this one printed on thick and expensive card paper. He turned it around, revealing a black and gold logo similar to their current one, but also different. The steaming cup of coffee was there in gold, but there was also a stylised image that might have been Jaune stood behind it, side-on with arms crossed. The words below, in gold script, read; ` _Café Prime: Speciality_ `.

"We would like you to head a new division within Café Prime. You'd have a position on par with my own. You and I would quite literally become business partners."

Partners? New division? Speciality?

"You would become the Director for Café Prime: Speciality," Sterling continued, ignoring Jaune's confusion. "Naturally, you'd keep your diner, but it would come under a new name, and you'd have our funds and support to expand. We're even willing to offer Managerial positions for your current employees, perhaps even in training new staff to understand the complex nature of your work. The Board even suggested a Barista Academy with you as the Head."

"A-An Academy…?"

"Not an actual school," Sterling laughed, "More like a training facility, but styled like one. Lessons, practical tests and training for new staff. We would even offer certificates for those who pass, showing that they have an expertise beyond what is normally seen. It would help to create a `high quality` feel for customers, with the assurance that every barista is trained to a standard beyond any conventional café. Our dream is for Café Prime and Café Prime: Speciality to stand side by side, cornering both markets and creating a lasting legacy. You, of course, would be pivotal to that."

"But I'd have to join Café Prime," Jaune said weakly. His brain was scrambled. This was a very different method from Café Prime.

"You would, but it would not be something seen as a defeat. Quite the opposite. We're prepared to publicly acknowledge that you bested us. Better still, we want to announce that we have put aside our differences and joined forces. Your expertise and determination, our resources, creating a new brand that might very well outlive us both. In addition, we're prepared to offer a very enticing signing-on fee for yourself. Right now, I've been authorised to offer you one million lien."

Jaune choked. "A-A million!?"

"That's on top of your annual salary," Sterling said quickly. "Bonuses, performance-related incentives and a royalty share of all profits from Café Prime: Speciality. It _would_ be your division, after all. The current contract offers you two per cent of profits, which may sound small, but you should keep in mind that Café Prime currently has revenue in the _hundreds of millions._ It is very possible that two per cent of profit could translate to a couple of hundred-thousand lien a year."

Hundreds of thousands? That was more than he could ever hope to make in a year. Much more. Added onto the salary and signing fee, and with the funding further down the line… the figures alone were staggering. He had to swallow to process it all.

"I-I can't really agree to anything…"

"Without your solicitor, I know. I'm not looking for you to sign anything today, only to make a decision. The salary, the royalty, even the name `Speciality`. It's all up for negotiation. All we want is to make an announcement that our feud, our battle, has come to an end. That Jaune's and Café Prime are no longer enemies, but staunch allies. I know it's asking a lot for you to agree now, but if you do and we announced it, we would then look _fools_ to try and cheat you. Your solicitor would be negotiating from a position of incredible strength because we _need_ you to follow through. Jaune, you might even be able to force _five per cent_ of profit. This deal, this offer, is incredible."

It was. Even he could see that.

It would mean an end to the constant fear, the drama. His position would be secure. Velvet and Russel would be secure. Jaune's would be secure, even if it would need to change its name. He'd still have control over how it was run, so nothing would change for Team RWBY or the other patrons. Everything they'd fought for would be protected _and_ he'd come out richer than he'd ever imagined.

All signs pointed to it being the best offer he'd get.

Only a fool would say no.

Jaune bit his lip.

"I-I don't know…"

"You don't know?" Sterling laughed. "Jaune, come on, look at what's on the table. A million lien to say yes, not to mention all this investment. If you're worried we'll try and pull the rug out from under you, don't. That would be media suicide. Besides, you've already proved that your way of doing things works. Money talks and the Board would bend over backwards to get you heading our latest business venture."

"I get that-"

"If it's me that's the issue, I can understand. We'd be on an equal level, but we don't _have_ to work together if you don't want to. I have to run the standard chain of Café Prime, and that keeps me busy."

"It's not you," Jaune said quickly.

"Then what is it? An offer like this doesn't come around every day, Jaune. You're doing well, but with just a verbal agreement – not even a binding signature – you could become one of the richest people in Vale." Sterling spread his hands wide. "No tricks, no games, just two business that were once bitter enemies working together to become something stronger."

It sounded great. It sounded perfect.

Better than perfect.

So, why was he so hesitant? Why did his stomach clench up at the thought of it? Why couldn't he say yes right now. It wasn't fear. If he agreed but didn't have to sign anything, then he had Café Prime by the balls. His solicitor from Weiss' family would have free reign to demand whatever he wanted. He might even be able to get it called _Café Prime: Jaune's_ if he wanted.

He didn't.

Jaune's was Jaune's. That statement sounded pretty stupid, but it was the meat of the issue. The diner was his life now, his creation. He'd gotten this far and although he hadn't started the fight with Café Prime, he'd sure as hell faced them head on. And survived this far. Sure, he'd been close to giving up once or twice, but his customers, his friends, had come to his aid, supported him. Convinced him to fight.

With all that in mind, could he really bring himself to stop now?

The mature answer would be to say yes. The rational, the logical choice, was to agree.

Jaune Arc reflected that he might not be as rational as he'd always thought himself to be. No one had ever accused him of having common sense, especially not his mother. _Jaune's is mine. It's small, weak and struggling to survive, but it's mine._ It would still be his if he accepted their deal, but it would be different. Subtly so, but still there.

He couldn't pinpoint how exactly. Maybe it would be the uniforms, but it felt childish to say a change from green to black would upset him. Maybe it was the sign out front. Again, it was silly. Most of the time he didn't even _see_ the damn thing, since he lived and worked inside the same building. Was it the people? Not really. He could keep Velvet and Russel here, even if he had to travel and manage a few other branches as well.

All in all, he wasn't sure what it was. Maybe it was nothing so easily explained. Maybe it was just ego, pride, selfishness.

Self-respect.

"It's a good offer," Jaune said.

Sterling smiled. "It is. It's the best of offers."

"But I can't accept."

The smile fell faster than anything he'd ever seen.

"What?"

"I said no. I can't accept it."

"What do you mean you can't accept it? Are you mad!?" Sterling's lips peeled back, but he forced a laugh through, sitting when he so obviously wanted to stand and shout. "Is this a joke, Jaune? It must be. I get it, I've made my share of mistakes and deserve a little ribbing, but surely we can put the past behind us."

"We can if you like," Jaune said. "I'm not above accepting an apology and moving on, but it doesn't change my decision. Thank you for coming and it's a good deal – a very good deal – but not one I'm prepared to accept."

"You- but…" Sterling struggled to breathe. "Are you mad?" he finally managed. "Are you insane? Do you think a deal like this comes around every day? Do you think you're _special_? Some of us had to work our way up from the bottom! Yet here I come, apologies on my lip, pride bowed to offer you this deal and you… you throw it back in my face!?"

"That's not what I meant. It's generous, but I don't want to compromise on what I've worked for."

"No! Enough. I lower myself to come to you with an offer of working together and you insult me." All vestiges of cheer and friendship vanished. He reached down for the briefcase, fumbling with the buckles and failing to seal it the first time. He managed it on the second, knocking over the remains of his coffee as he did so. "I'll see myself out," he hissed, storming by. "Don't think this will change anything, Arc. You've a made a mistake here. One you won't soon forget."

He might have, but it was still his choice.

The door slammed loudly.

/-/

Yang had long grown bored of entertaining herself pushing a spoon around her cooling drink. Or the remains of it. It wasn't like she was an excitable dog in constant need of attention, nor that she needed Jaune to have fun, but with Ruby back at Beacon, Weiss nose-deep in a newspaper and Blake reading her latest novel, there wasn't much to do.

"Blaaake," she complained. "Entertain me."

Rather than say anything back and be dragged into a conversation, Blake calmly turned a page and continued to read, ignoring her entirely. Ugh. Talk about boring. Usually, Ruby was loud enough to stop either of them getting absorbed like this.

"Weiss-"

"Don't turn to me just because Blake isn't willing to indulge your nonsense."

Yang grinned. Weiss may have thought herself clever, but she'd replied – which meant she was trapped. "But I'm bored, Ice-Cream. And you're reading a newspaper. What's so exciting in there that you can't be sociable?"

With a loud huff and a rustle of paper, Weiss lowered the news down, glaring at Yang over the top.

Yang smiled prettily back.

"You are a constant pain in my behind, Xiao-Long. I can't believe I'm saying this, but even Ruby is more understanding of what peace and quiet means."

"She isn't. She just gets awkward when people aren't speaking and doesn't know how to start a conversation."

"Still better than you!"

Yang let her head flop to the side and asked in a child-like voice, "What'ya readin'?"

"I am reading the latest story from Lisa Lavender," Weiss said, giving up all hope of continuing unharassed. Blake shook her head, apparently disappointed with Weiss' endurance. "According to this, a local council member has been found to have misled other officials into believing critical repairs to a nearby road were necessary when they were not."

Yang's cheek fell into one hand. "Scandalous." she said, voice as dead as her eyes.

"It's a bigger deal than you realise! The Vytal Festival is almost on us, which means a huge influx of visitors. If a road is closed, then all the shops along it are impacted, as well as those on either side. It can literally push some people out of business, and at a time when the city ought to be welcoming more people than ever!"

"Hm, that does sound kinda big," Yang admitted. "So, why do it now?"

"According to this, it's because other councillors were told the works were critical and, since a new construction company was brought in to do it, they didn't have the records to prove otherwise. However, when they dug up the street, they realised that the pipes were still in excellent condition."

"A mistake, then?"

"Hardly. That news was passed on to the local council, but it was intercepted and hidden. Those in charge never saw the report, so the construction continued unabated. Completely unnecessary roadworks are _still ongoing_ , and people are suffering for it." Weiss read a little further. "See, it says here that two business have been forced into bankruptcy as a result, and others are struggling to survive. This has literally impacted people's lives!"

Despite herself, Yang perked up. While she wasn't one for news normally, a scandal was still a scandal. Weiss might normally have called it tabloids pandering to the absent-minded masses, but hey, Yang freely admitted she was one of those masses. "Sounds like heads are going to roll. You saying Lisa Lavender found all this out?"

"According to this report, yes." Weiss' eyes widened. "It's Walker Street. It's _this_ street."

"The roadworks down on the south end," Yang realised. "I remember when those cropped up. We've had to divert around them ever since they appeared." And what a pain in the ass that had been. "At least Jaune isn't being hit by it."

"He is, to a degree." Blake said, only half-listening. "Even if the diner is full, it's less people walking by."

"The council member is one Matthieu Auber," Weiss said. She paused. "I'll admit, I've never heard of him. Minor elected official, it seems. His job is on the line and his head on the block. His actions will have brought the local council into disrepute, and it's possible the actual Council of Vale will step in and have sharp words for them."

"Sounds unfair if it's just him," Yang said.

"Not as such. Even if he is the one to cause it, it is the responsibility of others around him to look into what they are signing off on. If they handled their bookkeeping properly, this would not have been allowed to happen."

Yang took Weiss' word on that one. Harsh, but probably a fair point.

"As for why, it's-" Weiss gasped. It was a loud, sudden and shocked sound.

Yang sat up.

Even Blake's book came down.

Weiss didn't notice, too busy having her eyes glued to the pages.

Yang waited as long as she could. A whole six seconds. "Come on, Weiss," she urged, "Don't kill us with the suspense here."

"A-Ah." Weiss shook her head, catching on. "Matthieu Auber is related through marriage to Alexander Sterling."

"Wait, you mean the same Sterling that's here right now, speaking to Jaune upstairs?"

"The same. Even more, the decision to close the street on the south end of Walker Street came just _one day_ before Café Prime purchased the property on the _north_ end of Walker Street. This was despite the road works not being formally announced until over a week later."

"Meaning that Café Prime shouldn't have known," Blake whispered. "Or that it was done _on_ Café Prime's request. Bribery? I can't say I'd be surprised if that was the case. Corruption among politicians has always been present."

"Someone's been naughty," Yang sang. "And the news just broke today?"

"This is the first I've heard of it."

A door slammed open. The heavy _thud-thud_ of shoes against a staircase echoed through the diner, followed by Alexander Sterling hurtling out of the back room, face red, briefcase gripped to his chest like some kind of shield. He met the eyes of no one, pushing past Velvet so sharply that he might have knocked her down if she wasn't a huntress.

"Out of my way!" he hissed, rushing by.

"Looks like something didn't go to plan," Yang said. He heard, of course. She'd said it loud enough for that very purpose and delighted in the way he flinched.

Weiss, normally too mature to play such games, smiled and joined in, "I suppose that explains why he came today. It would be a shame if the news was given time to spread. Some might even call for an Inquiry."

Sterling froze. His hands on his briefcase became white and his cheeks bulged as he ran his tongue around the inside of his mouth, no doubt thinking of all the things he'd _like_ to say. Things that would be a terrible mistake since more than a few people had started to record the scene. After the viral success of Blake's video, others wanted in and this promised to be explosive.

To his credit, he remembered his past mistake and hurried for the door.

It opened before he could reach for it.

Yang would freely admit that the look on Sterling's face as he was knocked to the floor was nothing short of orgasmic. His wide eyes, his startled cry, the way his briefcase flung up and caught him in the chin. She hoped someone would post it online later.

The girl who had slammed the door open paid little attention to the downed businessman. She looked down at him, scowled and then stepped over his wide-eyed body, no doubt giving him a free look up her skirt.

Miltia Malachite didn't care. She stepped over Sterling, ignored him as he scurried to his feet and ran outside, and planted her hands on her hips. Her eyes roamed the diner, daring anyone to meet them, before they zeroed in on the blond that was at that very moment stepping out from the staircase at the back of the café.

"YOU!" Miltia pointed directly at him.

Jaune did the same, pointing up at his face. "Me?" he asked stupidly. "Uh. Hey Miltia. Not seen you for a while. Have you been okay?"

"Youuuuu!" Miltia seethed, stepping forward.

He stepped back. "Was it something I said?"

There was a twitch above Miltia's left eye. One that gave away her emotions, even if her tone and words hadn't already. With an audible growl, Miltia covered the distance between him and her and _tackled_ Jaune to the ground.

The sound of lips being forced together echoed through the diner, promptly followed by chairs scraping as people angled for a better view. With cameras already recording, most of those doing so switched targets.

Though she tried to pretend she wasn't, Blake leaned out precariously for a better view.

So did Weiss.

Miltia pulled away with an audible _smack_ , cheeks flushed, lips bruised. Lipstick smudged. Jaune was wearing his own now, though it was smeared a little. He looked dazed by comparison, eyes starling blankly at the ceiling.

"Bwuh!?"

"You!" Miltia growled, continuing on from what she'd tried to say at first. "Are an idiot!"

"W-What?"

"I made out with you when you came to the Club. I _literally_ made out with you, and you didn't do anything. No calls, no texts, not even so much as a _peep_ from you! What kind of guy does that!? To ME!? I'll tell you what kind of guy, _no kind of guy_!"

"W-What?" Jaune looked up at her and then quickly away. Even Yang had to admit Miltia looked to be somewhere between make out or `make dead`. "B-But you didn't contact me, either. You didn't say anything."

Ooh, poor choice of words.

"I didn't-?" Miltia drew a deep breath. It did precisely nothing for her temper. "I _made out with you_! In front of my sister. In front of a whole load of people." She threw a hand back, indicating them. "In front of all your customers now! The making out _was_ the message, you dense fucker! What, do I need to pin a poster of myself naked to your wall with the caption `I want some fukk` written underneath it or something? Is that how I make you realise I like you?"

Jaune gaped like a fish. "You _like_ me…?"

Yang winced.

Weiss slapped her forehead.

Blake almost fell out her chair.

Someone else did, leaning too far for a better view.

Miltia Malachite looked down at Jaune, looked up at the ceiling, and then let out a strangled scream.

"Oh my _God_! What did I do to deserve this? Damn it, Jaune. Most people would get the idea you dislike them after you stab 'em in the chest, but somehow you don't think a girl making out with you is her way of saying she likes you? Are you even human? Is your brain power occupied making sure you don't forget to breathe!?"

"Um…" Jaune raised a finger.

Miltia grabbed it and pushed it aside.

Then, she descended once more.

Yang had seen kisses. Even experienced a few. She didn't think she'd _ever_ seen something like this, though. She watched wide-eyed, unsure if she was witnessing passion or a scene from a zombie flick. Miltia certainly had the face-eating part down.

"Oh wow," Blake whispered, head tilting to the side.

Yang's tilted as well.

When Miltia was done, she stood calmly and brushed her skirt down, uncaring for the shell-shocked audience, rolling cameras or awed expressions. Her eyes were fixed on Jaune, who looked more than a little comatose. Comatose, but deliriously and stupidly happy, cheeks flushed, eyes wide open.

"Friday," she said. "Tomorrow. You and me are going on a date. A _romantic_ date if me somehow pinning you to the floor didn't make it abundantly fucking clear I'm into you. If this date doesn't somehow end with your tongue in my mouth, you'll have done something wrong. Got it?"

"G-Got it…"

"Any complaints? You're allowed to say no. This is your chance to say you're not interested and back out, because if you say yes now, you're signing a waiver with me. I don't play nice, and I sure as hell don't let something I like the look of get away."

"M-Meet you at seven?"

Miltia's grin was vicious. "Seven. See you there, lover boy."

And just like that, without a care in the world, Miltia turned and flounced away, head held high and a wide smile on her face, unheeding of her smeared lipstick or all those watching in shock and awe. The bell above the door chimed as she opened it and stepped outside, and her smug face passed by the windows as she walked away.

The silence was broken by slow, sarcastic applause.

"Oh shut up, Russel," Jaune groaned.

"This," Blake decided, turning back to their table. Other tables came to life, animatedly discussing what they'd just seen. An obviously married couple stood awkwardly and rushed outside, no doubt about to recreate the scene in the privacy of their own home. "This is the kind of entertainment you don't get at a normal café. Ruby is going to be horrified she missed it."

"I'm horrified I saw it," Weiss said, though it was said without heat and there was a soft flush to her cheeks. "What do-" She paused, realising that one of their number was still staring at the door. "Yang? Yang?"

Yang turned back, huge smile on her face, eyes shining.

"I think I've found my spirit animal."

"Yang, no…"

* * *

 **Miltia Malachite does not play games.**

 **Café Prime, on the other hand, does. An honest deal was offered, but one designed to help them get out of this last bit of trouble. Sadly, Jaune's a stubborn one. As stubborn as he is dense in some regards.**

 **Honestly, I have some sympathy and while some people say, "No real person could be as dense as an anime character", I kind of shuffle awkwardly because I certainly was! It took someone who liked me basically shouting it out and pointing out all the – in hindsight – obvious cues they'd given that I'd somehow missed. Some more obvious than Miltia's in this story.**

 **I guess that's the thing about being young, though. No one knows exactly how to come out and say it.**

 **We also get to see anime, stories or fanfiction from an outward point of view, with no preconceptions or emotions clouding our judgment.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 11** **th** **December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	35. Chapter 35

**I was glad to hear a lot of people in solidarity with me and Jaune from last chapter, sharing instances where they had to be told – to their faces – that a girl liked them, because they were too dense to see the obvious signs. Glad to see I wasn't the only one.**

 **And, of course, the usual "Why you hate and be mean to Pyrrha all the time".**

 **Truth is, Pyrrha always gets to suffer in my stories because her attraction to Jaune is canon. I often have to include it because it IS a canon event. It was established by RT. I'm not "constantly making her like Jaune" as some weird attack on her, but because it is a part of her character in the show that she has these problems expressing herself, etc. It's a core part of her character development to face those issues and grow as a result. Sure, I could take away her attraction for Jaune, but I might as well also take away Yang and Ruby being sisters, or Ren and Nora knowing one another. If it's not important for the plot to do so, I usually don't. Once or twice I have, however. I.e. Pyrrha never had feelings for Jaune in Professor Arc because she saw him as an authority figure first and foremost, and thus didn't have the chance to think of him romantically.**

 **Anyway, this is the last SWS before Christmas due to my week off. The next one won't be for** _ **three weeks**_ **. Date at the bottom will be accurate.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 35**

* * *

Friday marked the calm before the storm. Or storms, as it turned out. There was the storm that was Café Prime being found complicit in damaging innocent businesses and helping a councillor falsify documents to deal with a competitor, the storm that would be Sterling's attempt to buy him out last second, and then also the storm that was Miltia asking him out on a date.

The latter didn't _deserve_ to be a storm but considering that he and the diner had become some kind of viral hit – for what scandalous things went on more than their coffee – meant that any news was big news. It was honestly ridiculous.

"And this is the meme about Miltia being a dentist. Vale's best dentist."

Jaune glared at Russel over the top of the scroll which, obviously, showed an image of him pinned to the floor, Miltia's tongue very much buried in his mouth. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"You just realised that?"

"Of course…" He wasn't sure what he'd expected. "Guess you're less than sympathetic."

"Sympathy? Jaune, I don't think you deserve _sympathy_ for having a hot girl make out with you."

"I've never been on a date before."

"Well, I guess _she_ deserves sympathy then, but still… everyone starts out never having been on a date. That's how people get their first."

"No, you don't understand. I've _never_ done anything significant with a girl before. I've had female friends, female sisters, but I have zero idea how to be romantic." Jaune gripped Russel by the apron and dragged him close. The taller man could have escaped but didn't. "Help me."

Russel laughed nervously. "I can't."

"Why!?"

"Because despite your flatteringly high confidence in my abilities with the ladies, _I've_ never been out with a girl either." Russel shrugged. "Sorry."

Jaune's mouth fell open. "You haven't!?"

"Okay, now I'm _really_ flattered you think so highly of me." Russel broke free with a little laugh. "But seriously, do I look like the kind of guy who has girls falling over to date him? Don't answer that question. If you want advice… honestly, I don't know who you should ask. Yang?"

"I… really don't want to put myself through that."

"Fair." Russel didn't ask why. He didn't have to. "I can't think of anyone else who would know, though. Maybe Blake's dated. Doubt the Schnee or Ruby have. Velvet doesn't act like she has, and I think going to her teammate would be a bad idea. I can't even suggest Cardin. I think he had a girlfriend once, but it was more she just found him hot and he was popular back home. They didn't stay together long."

Jaune swore. On the one side, it was good to know he wasn't so far behind everyone as he'd first thought. On the other, it meant his only source of advice was Yang, or him and Ruby going over Blake's books some more. The latter seemed a bad idea; they hadn't found much the first time, and even _he_ knew having a sleepover with Ruby moments before going on a date with another girl, was going to look bad.

Hell, even Ruby would turn that down, not wanting to get him in trouble.

"What do I do?"

"Well, I don't know, but you could ask from a girl's perspective…"

Velvet, who had been close enough to listen in – though she'd claim she hadn't been eavesdropping if asked – realised where the question was going and quickly scooped up a tray and tried to move away. She froze when Jaune and Russel's eyes fell on her.

"I'll handle that," Russel said, stealing her tray and using his other hand to steer her in the direction of her panicked boss. "Help him out, Vel. Kay, thanks, bye."

"I really shouldn't," Velvet whispered.

Jaune gave her the most plaintive, hopeful look he could muster.

"Ugh…"

"Please, Velvet…"

She clenched her eyes shut. "I'm really not the right person for this, Jaune. Not to… say anything bad about your date, but I don't think we're similar, even if we are both girls. She's a little more… _confident_ than I am."

"But you're still a girl."

Velvet rolled her eyes. "Thanks for noticing."

"So, you can tell me what girls like."

"Can you tell me what every guy in existence likes? No? Well I can't tell you what every girl likes. People are different." Velvet saw the sheer panic on his face and relented. "Look, you'll be okay. She asked _you_ out. That means the impetus is on her to show you a good time. Just be yourself and try to have fun."

It was the same advice he'd seen online in his brief forays last night, and the same advice he'd heard from other people he talked to. Be yourself, act natural, don't panic. It all sounded so casual and easy, just treating a date with a pretty girl like you would any other event.

Absolute bullshit was what it was.

"If I acted _normal_ on a date, it wouldn't be a date, though…"

Velvet paused, caught out by what Jaune felt was rather stellar logic. "Uh, I guess…"

"I mean, if there was a guy _you_ liked, and you worked up the nerve to ask him out, would you want him to come on the date dressed like he usually does, putting no effort in, farting and talking about the latest sports game?"

"No." Velvet's eyes narrowed. "No, I would not."

"Exactly! So, what do I do?"

Velvet hummed, but this time didn't say to `just be himself`. In the end, she shook her head. "Sorry, Jaune. I really don't have any idea. I've been on as many dates as Russel. None. Coco has, but I don't think asking her would be a good idea."

Russel said that too, though Jaune had a feeling he knew why for once. He nodded and let it go.

"I suppose the best I can say is to not try and be something you're not. If you do and she likes it, you'll have to pretend to be that something, and that'll make you miserable. Um. Dress up a little? Look smart? Don't do anything gross or silly. It' about the best advice I can offer."

"I guess it'll have to do…"

"Yeah." Velvet smiled awkwardly and shifted on one foot. When Jaune turned away, she held a hand out to touch his shoulder. "Jaune…"

"Huh. Yeah?"

She smiled.

"Good luck."

/-/

Coco was, despite what some might have thought, not used to consoling a crying girl.

"There, there."

Pyrrha sniffled against her.

The two of them were alone in CFVY's dorm, Yatsuhashi and Fox having taken one look at Pyrrha's face when she knocked on the door and fled like the pansies they were. Oh, they said it was to give Pyrrha space, which it probably was a little, but Coco knew the real reason. Those two couldn't handle emotional people. Yatsu, for all his wisdom and calm, folded in on himself the moment someone looked upset. Fox just froze like a rabbit.

Most of the time, it didn't come up. Velvet lacked confidence, but she wasn't someone who cried. The one time she had, it was because a little bird she and Yatsu had found with an injured wing and tried to nurse to health died. That time, they'd both been in tears hugging onto one another, which left Fox and Coco to watch awkwardly and feel like utter shit.

The only other time someone had cried, it was during movie night when Fox picked the wrong movie and basically fucked them all over. It had been a group crying session, so no one had been in a state to console anyone.

Fox didn't get to pick movies after that.

 _And now I'm distracting myself,_ Coco thought, stroking the top of Pyrrha's hair. _She's come to you for advice, girl. Do something! Say something!_

"So… what brought this on?"

 _Oh, wonderful, Coco. Real nice._

Luckily, Pyrrha wasn't in the right state of mind to point out how asinine that question was, especially when Coco knew full well what the problem was, having not only heard the news from Velvet, but watched it online. She hadn't expected Pyrrha to be happy about it, but then, she hadn't expected her to be this torn up, either.

"I-I've lost. I kept hiding and delaying and now it's over. H-He's going out with Miltia."

"He's going out on a _date_ with Miltia."

"I-It's the same thing."

It really wasn't, but Pyrrha descended into more tears before Coco could point that out. Coco rocked her a little, thinking how much a shock it was to imagine the normally immovable girl acting like this, and over a boy no less.

No, that wasn't fair. It wasn't that Pyrrha was being weak, just that nothing hurt more than having your hopes dashed, whatever those hopes might be. Someone like Pyrrha could stand up to ten enemies at once and even accept being beaten with a smile on her face. She could shake hands with people who hated her, smile for those who pretended to like her, and other things Coco didn't think she'd be able to.

But no one was immune to hurt. It was just a matter of _what_ it took to pierce your armour. In Pyrrha's case, it was letting someone past her outer shell.

Realistically, Coco knew that she and Velvet had also been allowed in by Pyrrha, and that such a thing marked not only a certain degree of trust, but also responsibility. Coco was used to playing the mother of Team CFVY, dysfunctional family that they were, and while she hadn't asked for another teenage kid, she wasn't going to turn Pyrrha away.

"It's not as bad as you're thinking, Pyrrha. A date is a date. It's not a contract, nor is it marriage – and it's not like marriage lasts forever anyway. They're going out to a club together. If you remember, you've already been to the same club with him once."

"But she told him how she felt," Pyrrha whined. "Miltia told him where I couldn't…"

"Yeah, but no offence, she was _always_ going to beat you to that."

Pyrrha stared up at her, aghast.

"That's not me not having faith in you; it's just knowing her and knowing you. You're pretty much opposites in some ways, even if you share the same colour schemes. She's forward and to the point while you're pretty damn shy. She was always going to tell him before you did. I'm honestly surprised it took her this long."

"S-So, I never had a chance?"

"Pft. Don't be dense." Coco flicked Pyrrha's forehead, hoping to distract her before any more tears could come. "She's asked him out and made out with him. It's not even his first kiss since both she _and you_ have made out with him once before." Pyrrha's face turned bright red. "What I'm trying to say is that just because they're dating, it doesn't mean you don't have a chance."

"Hear me out," she said when Pyrrha made to protest. "You're going to be at Beacon for the next three and a bit years. Jaune probably is, too. More than that, you're both seventeen and this is hi first real relationship. How many times do you think a person stays with the same person they date?"

Pyrrha didn't have an answer. Coco didn't either, not statistics, but she could guess.

"Not many. I'm not saying it's doomed, but people grow up and things change. Dating doesn't mean you're getting married, or even that you're in love. It means you're both open to the idea of _testing_ if a relationship works out. Testing, that's the key word. Think of a date like a spar, except you're flirting instead of fighting."

The metaphor seemed to work for Pyrrha, who probably had more experience in spars than she did genuine social interactions. Proper ones anyway, not the press and fan meetings that Pyrrha had probably forced herself through with a vapid smile on her face.

"Maybe Jaune and Miltia will work out. Maybe they'll get together. Maybe they'll stay together for a couple of months, or a couple of years – or even longer." Coco leaned forward. "But there's just as much a chance they won't. They might break up, argue, or even just decide it doesn't work and part as best friends. What I'm trying to say is that her asking him out isn't the end of the world. Feel crap at her beating you to it, sure, but there's no point thinking the worst just yet."

"But what if he _does_ get on with her?"

Coco sighed. "Then they become boyfriend and girlfriend for a bit. You might have to wait, might have to accept it, but that's up to you to decide. You can hold on and see what happens, date other people or move on. Your call. But none of that is all that important _until_ you see how the date pans out and whether they want to take it further."

Pyrrha sniffed and wiped her nose. She _looked_ terrible. Some people thought crying girls, or crying anyone, looked pretty, but Coco could say with full certainty that such was bullshit. Pyrrha's nose was red, her eyes watery, her hair flat and what little makeup she wore smudged beyond repair. Coco didn't fault her it.

"What am I supposed to do?" Pyrrha asked.

"That depends on you, babe. Do you still want him that way?"

"Y-Yes. I think so." She closed her eyes. "I know it's wrong, especially if Miltia is dating him-"

"It's not wrong. Wrong is you cheating with him and hurting her when she doesn't deserve it. Wrong is you trying to break them up or get her in trouble. Wrong isn't you having emotions, it's in letting them control you and make you do bad shit."

"R-Right. I don't want to stop them."

"Good girl. I knew you wouldn't. So, I guess your best bet is just to wait and see. Be patient, watch, accept that Miltia gets the first shot, but take notes and see what works and what doesn't. In the end, it's not about who gets with someone first, it's about who wins in the long term." Coco laughed. "And who knows, maybe it won't work out and then you'll date him and _that_ won't work out, either. Maybe you and Miltia will get together out of sorrow, start a wild adventure across Vale, adopt fifteen children and retire to a cottage in the wilderness with three hundred cats."

Pyrrha, despite the tears, began to giggle uncontrollably.

"And then I'll have to console him while he weeps on me, before I push him into Russel's waiting arms." Coco sighed theatrically. "Ah, then and only then will my work be done."

Pyrrha continued to laugh for a good minute or two.

Eventually, she stilled. "I'm sorry…"

"What for?"

"F-For this. For coming here and making a mess, crying, being stupid…"

"Don't be an idiot. You're here because you needed someone to talk to. I'm here because you're my friend. Not some pity-case, not some friend of a friend, but _my friend_. Got it?" When Pyrrha nodded happily, Coco grinned. "Besides, you think this isn't going to happen to me one day? You owe me your shoulder when it does. You've seen how useless Yats and Fox are."

"And Velvet?"

"Pft. Don't even get me started. This isn't a `boys will be boys` thing. Those two may run, but at least they find help. Velvet just freaks out and stands there looking awkward with her ears doing little tricks." Coco mimed a sad-looking flattened-ear motion with one hand. "Seriously. Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one on the team that makes any sense."

"Coco, you have a minigun hidden in your handbag."

"See? Perfect sense!"

She breathed a sigh of relief when Pyrrha laughed again. She'd be okay; she was always going to be okay, but every now and then you needed someone to talk to, if only to point out the things you already knew yourself.

That said, Jaune would be off on his date soon, for better or worse, and Coco didn't like the idea of leaving Pyrrha on her lonesome. She might have made up with her partner, but he'd be busy until late, and she doubted he'd be any more adept at handling a tearful Pyrrha as Yatsu.

"Right, you're staying with us tonight."

"W-What?"

"It's Friday. That means it's team movie night, and as an honorary member of the team – or my prisoner, I'll decide which later – you're joining in. Vel will be back later and she's bringing pizza. I'll tell her to add one on for you. Pepperoni?"

"B-But I haven't said yes."

Coco cocked an eyebrow. "Mozzarella?"

"My homework-"

"Look, I won't judge, but if you like ham and pineapple, I'm not sure we can be friends."

Pyrrha stared at the older girl, who looked far too serious about the ridiculous thing she'd just said. With a heavy sigh, Pyrrha brought up her hand to cup her face.

"Pepperoni," she said.

"Aye. That's my girl."

/-/

Russel had promised to look after and lock up Jaune's so that night, giving Jaune a chance to retire early and prepare for the first date of his life, necessary since he had to meet Miltia at seven, still three hours before closing time. Being a Friday, neither Russel nor Velvet had any reason to wake up early the next morning, but he'd offered knowing that Velvet had some team-night event thing going on.

Even if there hadn't been time to go shopping, there had been time to order something – and deliveries in Vale were mostly next day so long as you were in the city. With his slowly growing bank balance, he'd been able to get some black jeans, a pair of nice shoes in grey and a blue shirt, casual enough to pass, but fancy enough to look smart.

Miltia hadn't given him any thought on what she'd be wearing, so he hadn't known what to go with. Smart-casual was advised as safe online, and lacking any fashion experience himself, he'd defaulted to what forum posts assured him would work.

 _Maybe I should have asked mom for advice. No. No way. Someone will have shown her the video by now for sure. There's no way I'm calling her and seeing what she thought of that._

Typically, his mom would love Miltia. Hell, she loved anyone who was on good standing with him or his sisters, and since Miltia clearly wanted to be more than friends, Juniper would love her all the more. Advice like `go the whole way` or `bring her home for me to meet` wasn't going to help tonight, nor was the teasing from his sisters.

He had his scroll switched off for a reason.

Showered, heavily washed and with a faint application of cologne, he was as ready as he was ever going to be. Also as ready as time would _allow_ him to be, it already approaching six-fifteen.

When he made his way downstairs, fully dressed and as ready as he could be, it was to find the entire population of the diner looking his way. Friends, customers, patrons – many of which he knew by name – all leaning out to look, not one pretending to be doing anything else.

His face burned. "I feel like a bride being walked down the aisle here…"

Yang sobbed loudly, also dramatically. "They grow up so fast!"

The dam broke. As he walked through the diner, he was inundated with well-wishes, compliments, calls of "good luck" and everything in between. It was honestly bizarre, and more than a little embarrassing to boot. Everyone was serious though, everyone was genuine, and the sheer force of that cut through, leaving hm humbled and also a little touched.

"Alright, alright," he called, stood at the doors, still blushing badly but with a smile on his face. "Be nice to Russel and Velvet while I'm gone. Don't do anything silly."

"We promise, _Dad_." Ruby said.

"Use protection!" Nora yelled.

"Nora!" Ren rebuked.

"Sorry. Don't use it if you don't want. Just make an informed decision!"

"That's not what I meant, Nora, and you know it."

Jaune ducked out the diner before the laugher hit, though the closing door didn't mute it entirely. For all that it was a coffee shop, it _sounded_ like a raucous bar. A few pedestrians nearby looked at it with surprise, though they all quickly wised up as they saw the name. They nodded or rolled their eyes and kept walking, paying him no need.

Did he really have a reputation like that, him and the diner? It was odd to think of, but odder still that he'd never really stood outside Jaune's as if he were a customer. From the inside, things were hectic and busy. Outside, it was loud in a muted kind of way, indistinct chatter, conversation and the occasional laugh sounding through the frosted windows. The shapes within were blurred, but it was obviously busy.

It looked… genuine.

It was the only way he could think to describe it. The people inside were genuinely having fun, not just drinking because they were thirsty. Russel and Velvet were genuinely friendly and not putting it on to fulfil some requirement for customer service. Even the coffee was genuine, blended and measured out, brewed in-house and not just coming from some instant brand.

 _I made this,_ Jaune realised. _I created this._

Not alone. With help from his employees, help from Ruby and help from all his friends – Roman and the twins included. It wouldn't have been possible without all his customers, too. Hell, it wouldn't have been possible without Ruby bumbling into his diner that one night, before he'd even officially opened. She was one of the main people to bring news of the place to Beacon, where it had spread like wildfire. Russel and Velvet wouldn't even be working here if Team RWBY hadn't agreed to put up _help wanted_ posters in the common rooms.

All of this, from what felt like so coincidental a meeting. It was shocking, yet also not. After all, what was life if not a series of coincidences? You meet someone, decide on a whim to talk, and then soon after become best friends.

 _I only exist because Dad decided to visit a coffee shop, happened to meet Mom and decided to chase after her like a lovesick puppy._ Heh. At least he could claim to have done a little better on the dating side himself.

"All you need is confidence, huh? Suck it."

At least Miltia wouldn't be feeling as panicked as he was.

/-/

"MELANIE!"

"I'm right behind you, Mil. What's wrong now?"

"I need an intervention."

Melanie thought for a second. "You want _me_ to date your boyfriend?"

"Not that kind of intervention, you idiot. I need help. Advice."

"Why? This isn't your first time going out with someone. Not even your first time if you bring him to bed."

"Shut up!"

"Oh, come on. He's not expecting the vestigial virgin here."

"Still, I'm not talking about past guys with him. Not when they were all just flings. This is the real thing, my first _proper_ date. This is… This is big. This is _relationship status_ big."

"Hm." For all her lack of eloquence with words, Melanie got what her sister meant. They'd both worked in the club long enough to fool around every now and then, sometimes to test the waters, sometimes because they were in the mood or bored. Once or twice, Melanie had even thought someone she'd danced with might be worth pursuing.

They rarely were.

Miltia seemed to think Jaune was, which Melanie found herself both amused and surprised by. She liked him, of course. He was funny and cute, in a puppy way, he made good coffee, didn't stare lecherously at them and could hold a conversation. Sure, he stammered when they teased him, but he had the makings of more.

But she'd have never pinned him as being someone Miltia would fancy. _Goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover, even if you've had the book since the day you were born._

Miltia was after Jaune for more than just his body – average at best – or his looks – adequate, but not handsome. It couldn't have been for his wit, flimsy as it was, or his technique. They always said beauty was in the eye of the beholder, and never had Melanie had more proof than now. Still, Miltia was her sister, which meant she'd give this the seriousness it deserved.

"Okay, well, you've already as good as staked your claim on him. Twice now. You've got your date." She hesitated. "Tell me you're not bringing him here."

"Do I look stupid? I've got reservations somewhere."

"Nice." The Club was home, but it was also their place of work. You didn't bring someone you wanted to show a good time to work. "Any plans for after?"

"I was thinking a movie, walk through the park." Miltia looked away, cheeks stained pink. "You know…"

She did, but she'd never thought Miltia would like that kind of stuff. Romantic hand-in-hand moments together, cold night air, leaning in for warmth. It took a force of will not to tease her sister. She would later, of course, but Miltia didn't need it right now.

"I think that's a good idea. Jaune's new, so don't throw him in the deep end. He might like it, but it'll still spook him."

"Yeah, I figured. I- I don't want to scare him off."

 _Oh, you are just too fucking cute,_ Melanie thought, watching her normally aggressive sister look down at her feet nervously.

"You won't. Like I said, he knows a little of what to expect from you. He's not going to be scared if you steal a kiss or push a little." Melanie paused and tried to think of more she could offer. Her own experiences were as limited as Miltia's, or rather stacked in the wrong direction. "Actually, I think I might know someone who can help. Stay here."

Five minutes later, Miltia was sat in her underwear atop her bed, legs crossed and looking at the decidedly uncomfortable man sat in front of her.

"You realise," Junior said, trying for gruff and managing a squeak, "That I am your boss, a man, and fifteen years older than you."

Miltia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, duh."

"And that you are in your underwear."

"Eh, you're like family." Miltia stood and turned around, sticking her butt out. "You think this is alright? I mean, I don't know if he'll feel that confident, but I want to say `sexy` without saying `fuck me`. Is it too mu- hey, you're not even fucking looking!"

"For good reason!" Junior cried, fingers over his eyes. "This is workplace harassment."

"Silly Junior, we're hot girls," Melanie pointed out. "We can't harass you."

"You absolutely can and are." The man sighed and lowered his hands. "Look, I agreed to help because despite my best attempts otherwise, the two of you have grown on me."

"Awww!"

"Junior~"

"Despite _so many attempts_ ," he growled. "Ugh. Anyway, I'll offer what help I can, but not until you're wearing some bloody clothing."

"Alright, alright. Keep your panties in a twist." Miltia flounced off the bed and snatched a dressing gown off the back of her wardrobe, pulling it on. "There. I hope your poor, abused eyes are okay."

"They'll live… Can't say the same for my street cred if anyone hears about this."

"Yeah, no one will. Not with what it'd do to _mine_ ," Miltia said. "Right. Advice. Okay. Imagine you're a guy going on your first ever date." She paused. "Wait, have you ever _been_ on a date"

"Yes. Many."

"Oh, thank fuck for that. Right, so, first date. With a girl. She's confident, outgoing and super-hot-"

"Modest, too."

"Hey. Story time here. You get a turn to talk after." She glared her boss down. "So, you're on that date and you've gone for a meal, cinema and then a walk. What are you thinking?"

"In general?"

Miltia shrugged.

"Well, if I remember my first date properly, it was something alone the lines of `fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, what do I fucking do`." He hummed into his hand. "Didn't go well. I told a joke and she didn't laugh. Rather than accept it and move on, I tried to tell another."

Melanie winced. "Didn't laugh?"

"Nope."

"You kept trying, didn't you?"

"Oh yeah." Junior had the look of a man who wished to punch his younger self in the face. "Like a fucking failed comedian trying to hold a stand-up comedy night. Great times."

"How does this help?" Miltia demanded, hands on her hips.

"It helps because it's what he'll probably be going through," Junior explained, making Miltia relax. "So, if he stammers or there are any awkward silences, it might be best for you to fill them. Don't take them personally, because chances are it's not him not enjoying himself, it's him not knowing what to say."

It was good advice and made sense. Miltia nodded quickly. "This is good, this is good. What else?"

"Same applies for any moments. If you come onto him, he might flinch or back up. Don't jump to conclusions and think he doesn't like you. Don't get defensive. He might just be nervous or jumpy. Especially toward the end of the night. Take things slow."

Miltia winced. "How slow?"

Junior was about as blunt as a sledgehammer. "You can fuck him if you want, but I'm saying ease him into it. Make it clear beforehand. If you want a kiss, lean in. Don't just go for it or he'll panic. Don't pin him against the floor, either." Junior shot her a knowing look. Miltia shrugged, unphased. "Give him a chance to think and reciprocate next time, because you want it to be two-way. If you give him a sign, he can give you one back. If you just take it, you might make him feel uncomfortable, even if your intent was to try and make him feel better by taking the lead."

She wanted to defend herself, but a look from Melanie said otherwise. Miltia grimaced but took the advice. It was something to keep in mind. She didn't think it would go that far – kissing, yes, hopefully, but not much further. Still, the point remained. "Alright. Anything else?"

"Other than laugh at the poor bastard's jokes, not much." Junior paused to let them finish their laugh. He'd gotten better at that, at least. "You've already got a plan for the evening, so you're not going to fall into the trap of wandering aimlessly with no one knowing what to do. Don't get drunk at wherever you eat, take your time and show him a good night. Make sure he knows you're interested, and if you have fun, make sure he knows that, too. Guys aren't psychic. We'll be worrying whether you're having fun or not. Give him a break and let him know. Or better yet, show him."

"You know, we're not psychic either," Melanie pointed out. "You're probably guilty of half the things you're saying."

"Eh. Never said I wasn't a hypocrite. Besides, if only perfect people could give advice, there'd be no one to give it." He had a point. "Most of it is just talking, which I realise is going to be a leap from what you two normally do in the club since it's so loud. Stick to safe topics."

"Safe topics?"

"You, him, your past, his past, his family, us and the club if you like. Don't talk about stuff like Café Prime, or politics or Grimm."

"Do I look like the kind of person who talks politics?"

"No, but I'm just giving you what I have. Mostly, you want to talk about each other. Get to know one another, and more than just as someone who makes good coffee and a girl who carves people up with her claws."

"And make sure to find out about his past, too," Melanie agreed. "Ask about his parents and stuff. Oh, and take pictures!"

"Pictures?"

"Selfies."

"Why, you want proof I went through and dated him?"

"Ha, cute." Melanie rolled her eyes. "But no. Selfies so that you can pose together, cheek to cheek, body to body. Who even cares about the pictures; you're just doing it to rub up against him, get him in the mood. He'll know the dates going well if you're doing that."

Miltia considered the idea. "That's sneaky. I like it."

"I aim to please, dear sister."

"My work is done, I think." Junior stood with a sigh and made his way towards the door. He paused in it, considering, before he let out a heavy sigh. "And yes, ditch the lingerie. It's too much."

"HA! I knew you looked!"

Junior slammed the door behind him.

/-/

Miltia was waiting for him outside the club, even if he was himself fifteen minutes early. A queue had formed despite it not opening for another two hours – people who wanted to get in early and skip the waiting. A few were giving Miltia appraising looks, especially the guys. One or two called out to her, but she ignored them, stood as she was with her arms crossed by an employee-only entrance. Two of Junior's men stood with her.

She hadn't changed her outfit for their date, not that he expected her to. Miltia walked around in a dress as it was and looked fantastic. Her eyes caught his as he called out a greeting. Her lips tugged up. With a slow gait, she pushed off the wall and sauntered towards him, meeting him halfway.

"Hello there, stranger. What brings you here?"

"Um…" Jaune wracked his mind. "A beautiful girl asked me to come?"

"Pfft." Miltia bit her laughter in half and placed a hand over her mouth. She looked away, shaking.

"Too corny?"

"A little. Corny and sweet. That's what you are, though, so I guess I'll just have to get used to it."

She held her hands out, palms upwards. It took him a second to realise what she wanted, and when he did, he swallowed. Even so, he placed both his hands in hers, earning a winning smile. She stepped forward silently and leaned up to plant her lips gently on his.

It was a much sweeter kiss than their first, shorter, too. He wanted more immediately and couldn't shake the heady smell of jasmine and wildflowers.

Some of those in the crowd groaned and mumbled none-too-quietly to themselves. They didn't look pleased to have the well-known hottie from the club be taken, nor for it to be by someone who looked like a nervous wreck.

"Ignore them," she said. "They're jealous. So, you ready to go out?"

"Out? We're not staying here?"

"I _work_ here. I don't want to go on a date here. We've got a reservation downtown, then I thought we could catch a movie."

Nice, simple and in a more private place than he'd hoped. His shoulders relaxed. He'd been worried there would be more dancing, combined with alcohol, loud music and hundreds of jostling bodies. This sounded much better.

"Anything in mind?"

"I thought we'd decide when we get there," she said coquettishly. "Or over dinner." Miltia freed a hand and hooked it around his waist, pushing her hand into his pocket. She tugged the other, hinting without saying.

Nervously, he mimicked their posture, placing his hand on the outer side of her hip.

It felt nice, especially her body warm against his side.

"We'll have fun," she said, sensing his nervousness. It couldn't have been because she was nervous, not with how confident she was. "Meal, a movie and then some time to chat. This time without loud music blaring in our ears. I was serious about what I said before, I want to get to know you. Not just as Jaune, but… you know…"

Even though she trailed off, he thought he _did_ know.

"There's not much _to know_ , but I'll be happy to share. If you do the same."

Miltia grinned and nudged her hip against his.

"You've got yourself a deal, boyfriend."

The title sent a jolt of energy through him. He'd never had it used before, not with reference to him. He wasn't sure Miltia noticed as they walked away, side by side, arm in arm, but he couldn't shake it, nor what it meant for the person attached to his side.

More than that, he couldn't quite shake how much he liked it.

* * *

 **So, Pyrrha's not out of the game – just being forced to face her insecurities and grow as a character. Typically, the more conflict I put a character through, the more important they are to a story. I also don't know why I'm always making Pyrrha and Coco friends. Maybe I just think Pyrrha could use an outgoing and pushy friend to help her come out of her shell.**

 **Maybe Coco is just too awesome to not be a major character. She never gets paired with Jaune in any of my stories. Probably too awesome for it. "Bitch please, pairings can't** _ **contain**_ **me."**

 **Just as a reminder, due to my week off, the next chapter of this won't come out until the 1** **st** **of January. And yes, I know, it's a bit mean to not have the date this chapter, but I wanted to let it wait specifically because I'll be in a more refreshed mood come the new year. A chance to rest, read and recover from all the fatigue. It'll make the chapter better, I hope.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 1** **st** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	36. Chapter 36

**Happy New Year**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 36**

* * *

Miltia had chosen a middle-of-the-range restaurant for them to eat at, something not too fancy but undeniably nice. It was busy, but they had a reservation, which a friendly waiter led them to in the corner, away from most of the other guests. A pair of menus were laid before them and the waiter was sent off to fetch drinks while they looked through them.

"This place is nice," Jaune said, thinking that he ought to say _something_. This was a date after all.

"Hm. Me and Mel found it a while back. Good food, good atmosphere, and not stuck up or pretentious like some places."

"You come here often?"

She raised a brow at the tacky and stereotypical line, earning a blush from him. "Every now and then. Depends if we have reason to go out. The Club may be work, but we get good food there. Sometimes, it's easier to just let them handle everything."

"I can imagine." It sounded like what he got at his, to be honest. Even if he'd come to smell coffee every single day, he was often so tired from work that he couldn't bring himself to go out and drink anything else, inevitably pouring himself yet another cup after a hard day's work. Miltia probably had it worse, having to work until three or four in the morning. Possibly later. "How did you end up working at Junior's anyway?"

"None of your-" Miltia cut off with a click of teeth, hand covering her lips. Her eyes were wide. "I didn't mean-"

He winced. Nice going, idiot. "Uh. It's fine."

"No, it's…" She sighed and slumped back for a moment, muttering silently to the ceiling. "Look, I like you and everything. I hope I've made that clear. But this," she gestured to the table and restaurant, "despite how I'm trying to make it look, is not something I'm used to. I'm gonna mess shit up."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Miltia sighed again. "It's no big secret. Just… people have asked that before and I didn't give a shit enough to tell them. Or they were only pretending to want to know to get in my pants. Automatic answer, you know? I don't mind telling you."

"You sure?" he asked. "I was just making conversation."

She raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to know or not?"

Ugh. Dating was hard. Just make small talk, his father once said, never quite going into specifics on what `small talk` really was. Everyone knew the basics, talk about things you had in common and have a good time. It was just that talking to people was his weakest point. Why did no one ever think to help him on that?

Okay, it was fine. He just had to be natural and honest. Did he want to know how Miltia got her job? Yeah, he kinda did. There was curiosity, but also a genuine desire to know more about the girl he was dating. His girlfriend.

"I do."

"Cool." She grinned. "It's not really all that exciting, to be honest. Still, don't tell Melanie I told you."

"Promise."

"Right. So, you probably figured it out from the lack of any parents that Mel and I were orphans. No idea how that happened since neither of us remember ever having a family." Miltia said it in so casual a manner that he knew it didn't bother her as much as it ought to have. "First thing we really remember is looking after one another, first in the orphanage, then on the street when we escaped."

"You ran away from an orphanage?" he asked. "Why? Were they cruel?"

"Not really… just…" Her cheeks heated up a little. "They were nice. Real good people looking back, but they warned us that we might have to be split up. Not many people want to adopt _two kids_ at once, let alone twins. They were just tryin' to be nice and let us know ahead of time, but we were already linked at the hip back then. No way we was lettin' that happen." She laughed. "And you know, to kids not ten years old, you don't think of how hard things would be outside. You think you know best. We up and split without really planning further."

Jaune bit back on the sympathy he felt, knowing it was the last thing Miltia wanted, and definitely not needed. She was fine now, and more than able to look back and laugh on the past. At the end of the day, it was just that. "You obviously managed it on the streets, though."

"Damn right!" Miltia pulled an arrogant pose. "Did you think any less?"

"Not at all. I pity the poor bastards who tried to mistreat you."

She laughed. "Yeah, they learned not to soon enough. We were vicious. Running from the police trying to arrest and take us back to an orphanage, fighting other street kids for scraps of food. It was tough, but we had each other and that was all that mattered. Cut a long story short, we tried to eke out our own little territory but ran afoul of a bigger fish. Not just a street rat, but an actual crime boss. Real piece of work. The worst of scum. Name was King."

"King?"

"Or it was his title, the arrogant prick. Didn't matter to him that we were just little girls, we'd tried to `intrude on his territory` and he wanted to make an example of us."

Jaune's hands clenched into fists. He wasn't sure he wanted to know, but he had to have the answer, if only to calm himself down. "What did he do…?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing!?"

Miltia grinned. "Nothing. He tried to, wanted to, but his son had been organising a takeover in the background the whole time. Killed and supplanted him before he could do anything to us two. Took over, disbanded most of King's men and went small-time crook, gang leader and information broker. Opened a Club, too."

"Junior!?"

"Yep. The old man saved our lives, or our bodies. After that, well, we didn't really have anywhere to go. Junior said he felt responsible for us and offered us spots in his gang. Mel and I were shaken enough after what happened to accept. Junior's a softie though, even if he won't admit it. He got us training, weapons, clothes, a place to stay. I think he was just trying to say sorry for what his father did, but by the time we were teenagers, he'd pretty much bought our loyalty. The rest is history."

"That's… wow."

"What about you? I know you came to attend Beacon and didn't make it. What's life back home like?"

"A lot more less interesting than yours. I'm not sure you'd find it interesting…" He didn't have any stories of a difficult past, any challenges he'd worked his way through or anything like that. He'd lived a perfectly mundane life, a blessed one if Miltia's was anything to go by. "I think you'd find hearing about it boring."

"Jaune, I've _lived_ through my `exciting life` already. Stories about parents, family and normal people life? That's anything but boring to me."

Surprise, sympathy and also a little shame worked its way through him. Of course it would be new to her. How arrogant of him to think otherwise. Or just downright shameful, bemoaning the boredom of an easy life to someone who'd been through hell.

"Well, you've told me about your sister. Let me tell you about mine…"

He talked for what felt like ages, long after his mouth began to feel dry. He told her about their trips to the lake, the things they'd get up to, and how downright cruel some of his sister's pranks could be, yet how quickly they'd jump to his defence if anyone tried to threaten him. Multiple times in the telling he wondered if he wasn't speaking too much. Was he monopolising the conversation? Was he babbling? Miltia's light laughter kept him going. Her smile prevented him from stopping, at least until the food arrived.

As was perhaps usual for him, the two of them found common ground in the most random – and what had once been the most painful – of things; his failure to make it into Beacon. It was further into dinner, after dining on some frankly fantastic steak, that Miltia brought up the fact that _she too_ had failed to get in.

"What? But you're so strong!"

"Not strong enough," she admitted easily, "Or just not smart enough. Even if you're good, coming from a school like Signal or one from another Kingdom helps grease the wheels. That blonde bi- friend of yours," she amended, referring to Yang, "-was able to beat both Mel and I at once. That's the level of a Beacon student. You and me? We may be worlds apart in terms of skill, but we're both too weak to go there."

"I never really stood a chance, did I?"

"To be fair, you went in not even knowing what aura was." Miltia smiled as she teased him. "I mean, that's like trying to become a doctor by turning up at a hospital with a pack of plasters. In the end, it's probably a good thing they refused you."

"Because I'd have died if I went?" he asked.

"Because we might not have met."

With red rising to his cheeks, he looked away, blushing all the harder when his date laughed knowingly. This definitely felt backwards to what his mom always said to do, compliment his date and make them feel special. It felt like he had the wrong end of the stick in the relationship, though maybe that was to be expected. Miltia Malachite wasn't one to be demure or submissive, and he definitely didn't have the makings of dominance.

"Too sweet for you?" she teased, and he knew she meant more than just the dessert.

"Just wasn't ready for it."

"That means I'm doing a good job. Maybe there are other ways I can surprise you."

He was about to ask what she meant when he felt a foot run up the inside of his shin, making him stiffen in shock. He gasped and glanced to Miltia, only to find her paying extreme attention to a spoon she was licking some chocolate sauce from.

The foot ran higher, teasing his thigh as her eyes locked to his. She ran her tongue up the spoon slowly, kissing the tip and sucking some chocolate off with a wet `popping` sound.

Blood ran to Jaune's face. And somewhere a little lower.

He refused to show his frustration when her foot drew back, leaving him flustered and wanting. She placed the spoon down beside the empty plate, leaned her chin on one hand and smiled his way. "Hm? Something you wanted to say, lover?"

"You're evil…"

"Maybe. Are you going to do something about it? Punish me?"

A more confident man might have responded in the positive or responded at all and brought the night to a climactic end then and there. Jaune wanted to. He saw the hint. But his nerves betrayed him at the last second and he looked away.

Miltia's smile was languid. "Maybe later then."

/-/

She tried to keep the smug grin off her face, she really did. No one liked a cocky person, let alone a cocky date, but there was no hiding her satisfaction at getting a reaction out of him. Every gasp, every flash of colour, every involuntary sound he made, they were all confirmation that she had an affect on him. Every single one told her in no uncertain terms that he liked what she was doing, that he liked her.

It was intoxicating.

It was also worrying. _I never doubted myself before. Why am I so unconfident now? I'm hot, everyone says that. I shouldn't need his reaction to know that._

Something about Jaune stole that confidence away, which she could understand if he was a player or at least as forward as she. When power was stolen away, you were left on weaker ground. Some people liked that. Miltia didn't care either way. But at least if that had been the case, the lack of confidence would have made sense. As it was, she was nervous for what felt like no reason.

 _He's putty in my hands. I've got this._

"What kind of movie do you want to see?" Jaune asked.

"Whatever you want to see," she replied automatically. _No wait, shit. What if he picks a sappy romance? Argh._ "Or, you know, maybe we can see whatever the big thing is at the moment. You like action or comedy?"

"Either."

"Great," Miltia said, cringing a little. She liked neither, or rather, she didn't much mind comedy but didn't want Jaune to be focusing on the jokes on a screen when she was there. "Tell you what, why don't you get us some drinks and popcorn while I grab tickets? I'll see what's on." And pick something more to her liking, of course.

Jaune just looked pleased to have a chance to actually _pay_ for something, seeing as how she'd covered dinner. "Sure!"

Miltia let out a quick breath of relief. Crisis averted. The only reason she'd insisted on paying for dinner was because she knew that, making money or not, Jaune was still in the infancy of running his business. On the other hand, her job was secure, and it wasn't like she spent much of it. She lived at the Club, so most of her living expenses were covered.

 _And that marks the first time I've ever not let a guy pay for me. Normally, I'd fleece them for anything they're willing to give._

The cinema had a number of counters for buying tickets, with a big electronic board behind showing what movies were on, when, and a few trailers running silently. True to form, there was a range of genres, with the obligatory sappy romance which was going to be skipped _hard_. Nothing made a date feel forced or awkward like sitting still for two hours watching _other people_ get it on. Even less so since this looked to be some movie about a huntsman saving a helpless princess. The dynamic couldn't have been more reversed for her and Jaune.

In the end, she chose something forgettable – a Spruce Willis movie no doubt filled with explosions, gunfire and more one-liners than you could shake a stick at.

Perfect for her purposes.

Less perfect was the asshole she found blocking her path. Pale green hair, dark skin and a wide, handsome smile.

"Shit, Miltia? It _is_ you!"

"Mint." She tried to keep the irritation out of her voice. "Hey."

"Hey? Is that what you say when you've not seen me for months? That's harsh."

"Harsh would be me cutting your fingers off for what you tried with Melanie, Mint. Ignoring you is a mercy." One she was already beginning to regret. She looked for Jaune quickly, breathing a sigh of relief when she found him still ordering them some food. "Look, I'm kind of busy here, so how about we say `hi` and move on, yeah?"

"Busy?" Mint looked around theatrically, as if to draw attention to the lack of company. "I don't see anyone."

"Wow, you have eyes. And I couldn't _possibly_ be more than three feet away from the people I came with. Amazing deduction." Jaune was finishing up, which meant she needed to as well. "Nice to see you and all, Mint, but I've got to go. See you around. Or not." She pushed past before he could open his mouth and pulled her shoulder away before he could grab it.

Jaune had only just turned in her direction when she hooked her arm into his and flashed the tickets in his face, stealing his attention away from anything else. She nabbed some popcorn while she was at it and poked a kernel against his lips. "Hey lover. You ready?"

"Mrfl," he said, accepting and then swallowing. A woman nearby with her own date giggled at the sight. Miltia winked back. "I-I'm ready," Jaune said. "Were you talking with someone?"

"Just someone who wanted the time. Let's go grab some seats before they fill up."

The crowds of people hid their entry into the hallways connecting the various theatre rooms, each one with a number over the top and someone in front to check tickets. Miltia flashed theirs and got a nod from the bouncer who didn't look nearly as intimidating or trained as their own. Not having to deal with drunks probably made the job easier.

If Jaune wondered why she was so insistent to get them in the dark and seated against a wall – far away from the entrance and with Jaune squashed between her and the wall itself – he didn't ask. She looked back anyway, just in case, but it was dark enough that she couldn't see the entrance, which meant no one could make her out. When some random stranger sat on her right with his friend, she stopped worrying.

"You okay?" Jaune asked.

"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine."

"You look bothered."

Uh-oh, he'd noticed. Innocent as he could be, an idiot he was not. Time to deflect. "Hot and bothered?"

"N-No."

"Just hot then?"

"Ugh. You're impossible."

"I am. And don't you forget it."

The distraction worked as intended, causing him to look away and grumble about her teasing him. She laughed back and flicked a kernel of popcorn at his face, only to be surprised when he caught it between his teeth and munched on it.

"Movie night with my sisters. You learn a few tricks against popcorn attack."

Miltia snorted. "My hero."

The lights dimmed soon after as the curtains drew back and the pre-movie adverts began to play. Miltia sat back and watched, letting some trailers pass by and even the first ten to fifteen minutes of the movie, just enough to let Jaune and everyone else get into it and stop paying attention. When she was sure he was engrossed, she shot him a look from the corner of one eye, watching the lights from the cinema screen dance across his face. She bit her lip, eyes sparkling mischievously.

Silly man, not paying attention to his date.

That wasn't allowed.

Jaune had the bucket of popcorn in his lap so that she didn't have to hold it. Keeping her eyes on the screen and some stupid gunfight between one man and twenty others who couldn't aim, she reached to grab a handful, messily running her fingers through the bucket, causing a few to fall out onto his stomach and lap.

"Sorry," she whispered.

"It's okay."

He went back to the action, looking up with an awed expression. It flicked back down when she reached over again, but this time picked a loose piece of popcorn off his shirt, popping it in her mouth. When it was clear what she was doing, he ignored it and went back to the movie.

Miltia picked at the popcorn she'd spilled on him, slowly working lower and lower. He started to shift in his seat, no doubt feeling what she was doing and subtly excited. He pretended not to, of course, afraid to call attention to it and make her stop.

Hm. Adorable.

He jumped in his seat when her fingers brushed against his thigh. His eyes darted to hers, but the moment she saw them move, she looked back to the screen, feigning interest as she brought her hand back and nibbled on the treat she'd stolen from his lap.

When he went back to the movie, she went in again, this time making sure to _not_ find anything on her first try and pay around inquisitively. Jaune swallowed, the sound audible even with the action on the screen, which she knew he wasn't paying attention to anymore. His breathing was just a little too heavy, though her actions were thankfully masked from those around. When the palm of her hand brushed against something hard, her eyes widened.

 _Oh my. Is this for me?_

Jaune's hand snatched onto hers immediately, speed granted by the surprise and lust he was no doubt feeling. She wondered if he'd excuse himself to go to the bathroom. If he did, she could follow him and surprise him.

Instead, it was he who surprised her, linking their hands together so that they were palm to palm, their fingers intertwined. He let it rest in his lap and did nothing more.

Seriously? Holding hands?

 _You're killing me here, Jaune. Take a hint, please…_

She tried to break free, but his grip was just a little too strong, a little too warm. His thumb began to rub against the back of her hand, running soft, warm circles on her skin. It was a surprisingly nice feeling, if a little – okay, a lot – less than she'd been aiming for.

Maybe this was okay.

Miltia sat back and watched the rest of the movie with a smile on her face.

/-/

"That was pretty good."

"Hm," Miltia agreed, not quite meaning the movie. The two of them were still hand in hand, since she hadn't seen fit to let go and used the idea of not getting lost in the crowd of people leaving as an excuse to keep it so. "Better than I expected," she said, being completely honest, if not about the movie. "I had fun."

Jaune looked inordinately proud of that, like a puppy that had just been praised. "Yeah? Me too."

She grinned back. "Good. I-"

"Miltia!"

Oh, for fuck's sake. There outside the cinema, leaning against the wall, was the dark-skinned, green-haired idiot she was _sure_ she'd gotten rid of before. Had he really stood there through the entire movie? It seemed possible.

"Mint…"

"Hey," Mint pushed off the wall and strolled up, eyes flicking to Jaune inquisitively. "You ran off earlier, and before we even had time to talk."

"Most would take that as a sign…"

"Ha. You're always so funny." The taller man held a hand out for Jaune and smiled handsomely. "Hey there, nice to meet you. Name's Mint."

"Jaune," her date replied, shaking it. Miltia felt sick to her stomach; this was the last thing she wanted right now, not with everything going so well. "You know Miltia. Do you work at the Club with her?"

"Nah." Mint laughed and grinned. "I'm her boyfriend."

Jaune's mouth opened.

"Ex-boyfriend," Miltia snapped, interrupting, and explaining for Jaune's benefit. She gripped his hand tightly, trying to convey her feelings. "We broke up months back."

"Sorry, sorry. Ex. Sometimes I forget. It gets pretty hard to remember at times, considering how quickly guys come and go with you. She's picky," he stage-whispered to Jaune. "Then again, she gets her pick of most of the guys considering her looks. She's hot, yeah?"

"I guess," Jaune said uncomfortably.

Oh geez. This was the ex-conversation she'd never wanted to have, not because of any significant drama, but because _no guy_ was okay with hearing about how the person they were with had been with other guys before. It was the kind of silent agreement brought up when you started dating, that you'd both pretend such shit hadn't happened. She'd thought it might come up at some point, but certainly not so early, and not by having the two of them face to face.

"Mint, seriously, Jaune and I are on a date right now. Can we do this another time?"

"Movie, huh? We used to go on movies a lot. Miltia always liked her little games. You're a lucky guy."

"I'm aware of that."

"You gone the whole way yet?"

"Mint!" she hissed.

"What? Oh, come on. It's not like you're too much a prude to talk about shit like this. I'll take that as a no, though. Well, I'm sure that'll change. She's never been one for wasting time. And trust me," he said, winking Jaune's way. "She's worth it. You and I aren't the only guys to know that."

Anger blossomed within her. That rat-bastard was trying to fuck everything up for her, and for no other reason than he was a bitter ass for being dumped. Well, fuck it. He wanted her angry, he'd got it. She'd just about brought a set of claws out – much to Mint's dawning horror – when Jaune opened his mouth.

"I _am_ a lucky guy, especially that Miltia wants to be with me. I think you were lucky to have a chance with her as well, and I'm sorry it didn't work out for you."

Mint and Miltia froze. "What?" Mint asked.

"I mean, you're obviously still into her if you wanted to come over and talk. I'm sorry, but we're dating now. You had your chance."

Mint's face flushed bright red. "You - You what? That's not what I'm saying."

"I know what you're saying," Jaune said. "You're saying there were people before me."

"Exactly. She's no innocent angel, man. She's been around, and I _mean_ around. Every night at the Club she takes a pick. The lucky ones get a night. The unlucky ones get their hearts played with." Mint's words caused Miltia to grit her teeth. "You want me advice, buddy, I'd-"

"Thanks, but I don't need your advice."

"Excuse me?"

"I said I don't need your advice."

"You fucking idiot. You've no idea what you're getting into, do you?"

"No," Jaune admitted, "But I'm excited to find out. And I'd rather find out from Miltia." His hand tightened around hers, his eyes meeting her own. "So, yeah, thanks for the advice but I'm okay. I kind of want to be the one she chooses to stay with anyway, so advice from someone who wasn't good enough to meet her standards wouldn't help me much."

Miltia laughed. She laughed out loud.

"You son of a…" Mint bit his words off with a growl. "Fine. I was just trying to be helpful, offer a fellow some advice, save him the heartbreak. Guess I'm talking to a brick wall. Just remember, whatever you think you have, someone else had it first." Mint turned away, though not without a parting shot. "Enjoy your sloppy seconds."

"You fucking-" Miltia's attack was halted by Jaune wrapping his arm around her shoulder. He held her back, letting Mint storm away. Miltia hissed through her teeth. "Why? He's a douche. Let me show him what he gets for saying shit like that!"

"And let him ruin our date?" Jaune smiled weakly. "Don't give him the satisfaction."

Fuck. That did it for her and she looked away, growling. Gods, she wanted nothing more than to pound that ass into the ground, but Jaune had a point. It would just be her paying more attention to Mint than he deserved. Of course, that still left the Goliath in the room, looming over their relationship.

"About what he said…" she began, biting her lip.

"It doesn't matter."

"You sure? He wasn't lying."

He looked worried for a moment. "About you leading me on?"

"What? No, no, no. I'm serious. I wouldn't have hunted you down like a stag if I wasn't." And hell, this was the first time a guy had ever made her go out her way for him. "Just… the other part. There _have_ been other guys before you." Miltia swallowed nervously. "A couple of guys." A pause. "More than a couple." She sighed. "Quite a lot, actually…"

"I… I kind of guessed."

"Oh." It came out glumly, more a defeated noise than anything as her stomach dropped. He'd _guessed_? She wasn't sure what to make of that, other than that she came across as someone who slept around.

Which she was, or had been, but still…

"I mean, you're so confident and outgoing and you work at a nightclub. I may be new to all this, but I'm not an idiot. I saw my sisters with guys, and even with girls in one case. That was kind of hard for me to deal with as well."

"I think this is a little different," she grumbled. "I'm not trying to be your sister."

"No, but it means I have a better understanding of those things." He grinned. "Or at least I hope I do. I've seen my sisters break up with guys and get with other guys. I've seen them happy, sad, heartbroken and happy again when they found someone new. Dating, having exes. It's normal. But I've also seen Saph finally find the right person for her, even after a couple of failed relationships. It didn't bother her partner that she'd been with other people before. I don't see why this should bother me."

"Most guys would be angry."

"I _am_ angry, but mostly at what he said about you." Jaune glared the way Mint had gone, surprising her with the intensity of his anger. It vanished a second later. "But most of all, I guess I'm relieved."

She stared at him. "Eh?"

"He was handsome, confident and a whole lot more experienced than me. Kind of my opposite. I'd have been more nervous if he was just like me and you dumped him anyway."

Miltia shook her head, shocked, but also vaguely aware that she shouldn't be. Maybe the problem wasn't so much with guys in general but, as Jaune said, her choice in them. Or her previous choices. There were tens of thousands of married couples out there and she doubted all of them had stayed virginal until marriage. Even so, she had to be sure.

"Then you don't mind me being sloppy se-"

"Don't say that."

She shrugged. "It's kind of true."

"It's not about who or how many people a girl has been with. The real winner isn't the one who got to be the first, it's about who she chooses to keep at the end of it."

Miltia didn't care about the people watching. She gripped Jaune by the collar and dragged him down, wrapping her free arm around his neck. Gawky and uncoordinated, he returned the kiss with more passion than skill. He'd need to improve on that. She'd teach him how to. She had time.

After all, she was going to be keeping him around.

/-/

A dinner she paid for, a cinema she took him to and now it was Miltia who was walking him home, dropping him back off at the diner – and frankly, why not? If anyone was going to be successfully mugged tonight it was going to be him.

"You're sure I can't get you a taxi back?"

"Not sure I'll need one."

"It's not a short walk to the Club."

Miltia looked at him askance for a moment before laughing. "You're so innocent. It's adorable."

The diner's lights were still on, though dim. Russel had locked up as promised and left the lights dimmed to help him find his way around. It looked like all the seats were up on the tables and the floor freshly cleaned. Great since he definitely wasn't in the mood to do housework after a night like this. Russel and Velvet were lifesavers.

"Well, this is it," he said nervously, turning to Miltia. He wasn't so dense that he didn't know how a first date was supposed to end, at least if it had gone well.

 _Work up the courage,_ he told himself. _Just kiss her. Hold her shoulders, lean in and_ -

Miltia gripped him by the collar and dragged him down. Her lips were on his before he could think, her tongue pushing past to wrestle, dominate and then pin his down. His back touched the wall beside his door, pinning him against it despite him being the larger of the two. She was merciless in her assault.

Experienced, too. It was the only thing he could dumbly notice as she played with him, toyed with him, pulled down his self-control like it was the flimsiest wall in existence. Her warm hands were under his shirt, playing with his chest, dragging her fingers down his skin. They continued their path down, teasing the hem of his trousers.

His eyes snapped open and he pulled back. "Wait, wait, wait!"

Miltia smiled coyly. She had one leg between his, her knee brushing up against his thigh. Her eyes were hazy, her lips swollen. "Hm?"

"W-What are we doing?"

"I thought that was obvious," she said, rubbing her knee a little higher. "Aren't you going to invite me inside for some coffee?"

"N-Now?"

"Sure. I like mind blonde, undressed and writhing in ecstasy."

It clicked. He wasn't sure why it took so long. The reason why she wouldn't need an escort back, the reason a taxi wasn't required. She didn't _intend_ to go home tonight, which meant… which meant. Jaune's entire body trembled.

"Hope I'm not being too subtle for you again," she said, closing in. Her hands stroked his side, fingers teasing under his shirt. Gripping the material tight, she brought him in for another scorching kiss, burning an imprint of her lips into his. "So, you going to invite me in, or are we going to do it out here where anyone can see?" She nipped at his neck. "I don't mind either way."

"No!"

"No?" She chuckled against his neck. "Want to keep me all for yourself? That's fine with me."

"I mean no. Not this." He pushed her back.

"What?" Miltia looked hurt for a second, and then angry. "Why the hell not?"

"It-It's the first date."

"So? Oh, for fucks sake, let me guess. I want to take it further on the first date, so I'm some kind of slut. Is that it?"

"That's not it!"

"Then what is it!?"

"I-" Gods, she looked so angry, and he felt so stupid. He wasn't even sure _what_ he was doing. Jaune blurted the first thing to come to mind. "I want to buy you flowers."

Miltia stared at him, mouth open. "What?"

"I-I want to buy you flowers," he repeated. "I want to surprise you. I want to ask you out. I want us to spend time together, hold hands, lean on one another. I want to do all the little things in between with you and not just… this. M-Maybe it's stupid, but I don't want to skip a single thing. I want _every little thing_. And when this happens, I want it to be special. Not-" His words were cut off as Miltia leapt up and smothered his mouth with hers, tackling him to the floor.

It was a fearsome make out session, reminiscent of the time she pinned him to the floor of the diner in plain view of everyone. When she broke off, her face was red, and her breasts rose and fell as she panted.

"You… You're some kind of idiot."

"I know, but-"

"But you know the right things to say."

He froze. "I do?"

"Somehow." Miltia kissed him again. Softer, more intimately. It lacked the explosive passion of the last but was somehow all the more exhilarating, perhaps because it showed a softer side, he wasn't sure ever existed with her. When she finished, she leaned down to whisper into his ear. "I'll be waiting for those flowers."

He stared up at her woodenly as she clambered off him. He missed her warm weight instantly, and a particular part of his body standing at attention missed it more than anything else.

With a flick of her hair, she shot him a coy look over one shoulder. "And I guess I'll be waiting for my blonde coffee, too. Don't make me wait too long, though. You wouldn't like me when I get impatient."

Her eyes trailed down to the tent in his crotch.

"Or maybe you will…"

The click-click of her heels echoed as she walked away, swinging her hips the entire time. Jaune's eyes remained locked to them and her, the feeling he'd made a terrible – stupid – mistake raging through him. His body certainly felt so as hormones and frustration crashed over him like a tidal wave.

"I'm some kind of idiot, aren't I?"

"Conventional wisdom would say so, kid," a cocky voice called. "Then again, maybe you're a romantic idiot because I've not seen her smile like that before."

Jaune groaned, somehow not even surprised. "Roman. Please tell me you weren't following us…"

"Oh yeah, sure, because I have nothing better to do with my time than stalk a pair of horny teens on their first date. Glad to see you think so much of me." Roman nudged Jaune's shoulder with his foot. "But no, I didn't come here to chaperone you, nor to play wingman."

"What, then?"

"Came to talk."

"Can't it wait until tomorrow? I'm not in the mood right now."

"Beating one out in the shower can wait," Roman said crudely, making Jaune stammer a denial. "This can't. Especially with what's going down tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow? You mean the meeting between you and Cinder?"

"Yeah." Roman sighed heavily, removed his bowler hat and ran a hand through his hair. "Can we do this inside? I've some heavy shit to tell you and I think you're going to want to sit down for it." It was the sheer contrition on his face that stilled Jaune's heart. He'd never seen the man like this. Never thought it was possible.

"Let's talk inside."

* * *

 **Ah Jaune. Innocent until the last. I did actually date a really dominant woman once. Not in that she intended to be, but that she did it without thinking. She told me a lot of people she went out with hated that because it changed the power dynamic in a way they didn't like.**

 **I thought it was hot as hell. Actually being pushed up against a wall and made out with by a girl who only reaches up to your shoulder is a surprisingly shocking and awesome feeling. I remember it was at the union (in university) and my friend was like "You're bigger than her. You could have turned that around."**

 **And I was just "Uh. Why would I** _ **want**_ **to turn that around!?"**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 15** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	37. Chapter 37

**Just to let people know, there's a new cute piece of art for Service with a Smile over on Kegi Springfield's DA. An image of Velvet when she was cornered by journalists. Feel free to check it out.**

 **Other than that, here we go!**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 37**

* * *

"WHAT!?"

"I thought you knew. Or that you'd at least figured it out…"

"I-" Jaune ran a hand down his face and stalked back and forth, cutting a small circle across the floor of his diner. Roman sat alone on a table, the chairs having already been stacked atop them. Coming to a stop, Jaune rounded on the thief. "I figured Cinder was related to your work, sure, but I didn't think she was _literally_ planning the end of Vale!"

"Eh. It's really more the end of Beacon. And a little bit of chaos in the city…"

"Oh good. Wonderful. Just a _little_ bit of chaos. And just the big academy keeping us safe from the Grimm disappearing. No, no, that's fine. That's totally okay. Do you see my face, Roman? This is my `everything is okay` face."

"Kid, you're hyperventilating."

"Am I? Good! This way I won't have to deal with-"

And there went the last of the air in his lungs. Jaune bent over and gasped for breath. He winced when he felt Roman pat his back, the taller man striking him gently to help get him back on track.

"Look, I'm not exactly keen on this either, but I don't have much of a choice. As for telling you, I didn't intend to at first, bliss in ignorance and all that, but Cinder told me you weren't taking her hints to leave. Said you might be an unfortunate casualty."

"A-And you felt you had to help me?"

"Eh. I felt bad," Roman said, scratching his cheek. "But it was Neo giving me the glare of death for an hour straight that made me come out here. Got the feeling I'd find something unpleasant in my bed if I didn't."

"Like a frog?"

"Like an Ursa's head. And, if I was unlucky, with the rest of the Ursa still attached."

He owed Neo some coffee and ice-cream, quite a bit in fact. He also owed Roman a whole truckload of laxatives slipped into his. Holy shit. Cinder, the nice woman who had helped him when his shop had been broken into and even unlocked his aura, wasn't just a petty crook as he'd expected but a dangerous terrorist with plans to destroy the city.

And he was hosting her tomorrow night. And had hosted her before, multiple times.

"Oh my god, I'm complicit…"

"Meh. Really more of a you've been tricked kind of thing. Doubt it would stand up in court. Course, it wouldn't _make it_ to court if you tried anything. Not me," Roman added, holding his hands up when Jaune suddenly looked afraid. "Ursa in the bed, remember? But Cinder would practically have to deal with you if you tried to talk. Reluctantly, mind, but she'd do it. She likes you."

"Likes me enough to leave me to die?"

"Hey, that's more thought than she's put into anyone else. Even said she tried to get you to up and leave."

Had she? Jaune wracked his mind, cringing when he realised when that had been. "She tried to push me to take a holiday for the Vytal Festival. Go back and visit my family. That's when this is happening, isn't it?"

"Yep. Any chance I can convince you to take that holiday?"

"None. I'm not leaving everyone else to suffer." Velvet, Russel, they studied at Beacon, which meant they'd be at the forefront of whatever happened. "I-I can't let it happen, Roman. I have to go to the police, even if there's a chance she'll kill me."

Roman caught him by the arm before he could slip past and dragged Jaune back. Pulling a chair down off the table, he pushed Jaune into it and stood in front of him, arms crossed. "I don't think you're understanding me here, kid. When you say `a chance she'll kill you`, you're not thinking about it right. Yeah, there is a chance. One hundred per cent. You've no proof, no evidence and not a shred of credibility. Meanwhile, she's able to slip out of Vale and the public eye at the drop of a hat."

"You report her, she vanishes. She doesn't change her plans, doesn't stop, but there's not a damn thing anyone can do to stop her. Worse, no one will believe you. They'll see it as her fleeing, and besides, Vale has more security than ever at the Vytal Festival. They're not going to cancel it just because you think it's a good idea. They'll keep going as usual and bam, the attack will happen as planned. Not that you'll be around to see it, since you'll have been murdered in your sleep. Anyone you tell? Dead as well."

A cold chill overcame him, and he rubbed his arms. Looking away, he said, "So what? I'm supposed to just sit on this…?"

"In an ideal world, you'd quit Vale for a couple of weeks."

"Not happening."

"I can see that. Damn it, kid. You're making this harder than it has to be. Just… don't do anything reckless, okay? You need to talk to someone, talk to me or Neo. Don't bring this up with any of your huntsman friends or this is going to turn ugly and there won't be a thing you or me can do about it." Looking oddly uncomfortable and unsure of what to say, Roman placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder. "I don't like this either. We're both in bad spots, but you're not involved yet. If I can, I'd like to keep you out of it altogether."

"Then why tell me? I kind of wish you hadn't now…"

"Because I'd rather you be uncomfortable now than dead later."

Gods. And the night had started off so good.

"Just tell me one thing, Roman. Miltia and Melanie…"

"Know nothing about this. They know what I am and know Cinder is someone like me, but they've no idea what's going on or what's planned to happen. They're innocent. Or as innocent as those two can be."

The assurance meant more than Roman knew.

/-/

Thoughts of Cinder and the meeting continued to haunt him into Saturday itself, but were quickly pushed back by the sheer amount of _embarrassment_ he got to experience through the day, all thanks to the `wonderful friends and patrons` that he wanted to protect so badly. It started early, the moment Velvet and Russel arrived in fact.

"So," Russel said, not even having brought his second foot inside the door, "How did it go?"

"How did what go?" Jaune asked, genuinely confused.

"The date!" Velvet said, squeezing in behind Russel. "Where did you go? What did you do?"

"Did you do her?" Russel asked.

Velvet punched her colleague in the arm, though when Jaune's face became increasingly red, her eyes widened. "YOU DID!?"

"N-No. I just… Is this really the time?"

"Yes," they answered as one.

Cheeks heating up, Jaune looked away. "Don't you have to get the tables ready, Russel? And Velvet, we need supplies from Marron."

"Marron will ask me what happened on your date," Velvet said immediately. "If I don't have an answer, he'll just demand I go back and find one."

"The tables will ask what happened on your date," Russel parroted.

"That… doesn't make any sense…"

"Just tell us already!"

In the end, he'd been forced into compliance, going through the whole thing, minus – naturally – Roman's revelation at the end and just how forward Miltia had been. He had a feeling the two knew, having met Miltia more than enough times to get an idea, but it didn't stop Velvet's eyes sparkling or Russel patting his back like an old man might.

"That's so sweet!" Velvet whispered.

"I'm proud of you, boss. So proud."

Shoulders hunched, face a bright red, ego hanging somewhere around his ankles, Jaune buried his face in his hands. "Just… go prepare the diner or something." As the two laughed and moved to work, he shouted out, "And I hate you both by the way. Just letting you know."

He'd thought that the end of it, enough that his mind could return to Cinder and the meeting later.

The moment the clock hit eight, opening time, the door slammed open. Ruby and Yang entered as one – except the door wasn't really intended for that and they wedged themselves in it. Rather than back up and try again, Yang and Ruby decided to struggle harder, trying to push the other out as they fought to fit inside.

With a loud `pop` and a cry, the two collapsed through the doorway and landed face down on the floor. Yang cursed into the tiles as Weiss and Blake calmly walked over her body, using Yang as an entry mat.

"Jaune," Weiss greeted. "I thought to ask-"

"HOW DID IT GO!?" Yang all but screamed, pushing herself up desperately.

"Yes," Weiss said, coughing politely. "That."

"I hate you all so much…"

/-/

There wasn't much point in Mercury being at Jaune's for the day, but then there wasn't much point him _not_ being there either. It was a Saturday, so Beacon was out and considering how close it was to the festival and the shit they'd be up to later, there wasn't any work to do. Cinder was busy contacting Adam, while Emerald was her usual pissy self. Probably upset that Cinder was paying more attention to Adam than her.

Basically, he was bored.

When he'd been bored in the past, he'd usually bait Emerald and see what kind of reaction he could get. Fighting was a handy alternative, even a spar if he could manage it, but Cinder wanted his legs to remain a secret, so that was out. He'd decided to head out to Vale instead and, without really thinking about it, he'd gravitated towards Jaune's.

Luckily, the entertainment was top notch as usual.

"So, how was your date?" some random girl asked Jaune.

"I-It went well, thanks," the proprietor replied, his face so red Mercury thought it might explode. "What can I get you?"

"Did she spend the night?"

"What can I get you?"

"I bet you looked cute together."

"Please let me get you something," Jaune begged.

"Snrk." Mercury hid his laugh in his hand, though it wasn't like he was the only one getting a laugh out of the poor guy's troubles. There was Team RWBY off to the side, who he knew Emerald had made contact with. The hot blonde was laughing, while the mysterious black-haired girl with the _fantastic_ ass was smiling into her mug.

Jaune's was always good for a laugh. If it wasn't, it was usually good for a bit of a relax. The food was good, the coffee better and the room spacious. That it got him away from Cinder's authority and Emerald's bitchiness for a couple of hours was just a bonus.

It really would be a shame to see it go…

 _Don't think about it,_ he told himself, taking another long drink. _Not like there's anything I can do about it, and I wouldn't even if there was._ He didn't have any loyalty to Vale. Hell, he didn't have loyalty to anyone. His father had beaten that out of him.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder what things might have been like if he actually were a student here. Coming down to Jaune's on a weekend with a team, laughing and joking. He'd still be an ass, of course, but he might have had a teammate he could tease that _wasn't_ a bitch. Then again, said metaphorical teammate would have probably knocked his block off by now.

 _A normal life, huh? Yeah, like that could ever happen for me._

Born to an assassin, beaten and raised to mistrust everyone and then drafted into a team of people determined to bring down not only Vale, but possibly all the Kingdoms. There hadn't been much of a chance to say no to that at the time, and after a while he'd stopped caring. Well, he'd never cared, but he'd stopped caring about the fact he didn't care.

The chair opposite him was drawn back. The diner was busy enough that it wasn't unusual for people to share tables, and when you came on your own it was all but expected. A single guy couldn't hog a table that could fit three or four people. Mercury looked up curiously, hoping it might be a hot girl for once.

"Just my luck," he grumbled.

"The sentiment is very much returned, human." Adam fucking Taurus replied.

"A sociopath and a terrorist walk into a bar. Sounds like the lead in to the world's worst joke."

"This is a diner."

"Same difference." Mercury paused as Jaune approached, taking Adam's order with a friendly smile. The normally angry faunus responded just as calmly. "Can I get a refill on mine as well?" Mercury asked once Adam was done.

"Sure thing. Any cakes between you?"

Cake. With Adam _fucking_ Taurus? Eh. You only lived once.

"Sure. We'll take one of those platters."

"I am not a fan of cake," Adam said when Jaune left.

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me one bit when it comes to you. Do you also wage a war on sugar, spice and all things nice, as well? Or just if they give faunus tooth decay?"

"You mock me."

"What was your first hint?"

Adam's eyes narrowed but he made no move to respond, which surprised Mercury a little. He'd really thought the guy would get up and walk. Seeing his confusion, Adam snorted. "I am not so foolish that I can't see your employer uses us for her own purposes. I hardly expect a sympathetic ear from you or yours. And I am not willing to cause trouble here of all places."

"Huh. Go figure." Mercury and Adam both paused as Jaune returned, tray in hand. "Eh, you're a lifesaver," Mercury quipped, stealing a small slice of chocolate cake before the plate was even put down. "Hm. Damn, man, this is good. Oh, how did the date go?"

Jaune groaned. "I refuse to answer that since I _know_ you've overheard me answer it a hundred times by now."

"Heh. Guilty as charged." Mercury winked and the blond walked off muttering under his breath. Turning back to Adam, he lowered his voice. "Still surprised to see you here. I figured you'd be keeping a low profile, what with this being the main haunt for Beacon students."

"Ideally, I would be," Adam said, sipping at his drink. "There isn't much to do, however, and there are few places in Vale that freely cater to faunus."

"I thought law was people couldn't turn faunus away."

"Not turning them away and welcoming them are two different things. You would not understand, being human. Little signs, dismissive gestures and poor service. If I'm to refrain from causing a scene, I need somewhere I can relax." Adam looked about briefly. "I can't say I expected to find it here, but life works in strange ways."

"Yeah. I guess it does…"

Strangely enough, they fell into a comfortable, if not companionable, silence. Adam was the last person he'd have thought to spend time with over coffee, but then, he wasn't the last person Mercury would have wanted. Right now, as tired as he was, that was Cinder and Emerald. He wanted a break from work.

It seemed Adam did, too. The White Fang commander, or whatever his rank was, sat calmly and peacefully, never once taking part in the rambunctious nonsense happening all around them, but somehow taking it in. He'd never pegged the guy for a place as loud and busy as this, but Adam looked to find some weird comfort in it.

Mercury had never been good at patience, though. "You think you can give this place a free pass when the time comes?"

One of Adam's eyes opened slowly. "Hm?"

"Jaune's. Just… you know, with your boys intending to do what they're going to do, maybe you can ask them to skip out on places that don't discriminate against faunus. I figure if anyone could make that happen, it'd be you."

"I've already ordered it."

He refused to accept the sudden relief he felt well up inside. "Yeah?"

"Places like this are few and far between. I've made it clear that I will be _displeased_ if it or its inhabitants are harmed."

Some good news, finally. Mercury nodded, not quite willing to thank the man opposite him, but knowing he'd get the message nonetheless. It might not be enough to ensure Jaune came out okay, but if the robots wouldn't go after him and the White Fang wouldn't, that only left the Grimm. _Which would still be more than enough to end him. Fuck my life…_

"You are not as I expected you to be," Adam said suddenly.

Curious despite himself, Mercury listened. "Yeah?"

"Given how single-minded your employer is, and her little pet-" Mercury had to snort at the nickname for Emerald, "I expected you to be much the same. Your previous behaviour did not suggest otherwise."

To be fair, he hadn't really spoken out much in front of Adam and that was on purpose. Cinder was the frontwoman for their group, Emerald the loyal follower and him… well, muscle, he supposed. It had never been his place to take centre stage and he felt no motivation to change that. Still, for the sake of appearances he shrugged.

"Who says I'm all that different?"

"I do. I have made a career off influencing the belief and loyalty of my men."

"You mean fanaticism?"

"Call it what you will. The point I am making is that I've _seen_ someone lose faith in the cause. I've seen what happens when such goes ignored. I thought it did not matter, I excused the doubt I saw because the person was… close to me. That was a mistake, and I lost her, perhaps forever."

Nervously, Mercury leaned back. "What's your point?"

Adam placed his mug down on the table. "I can see that you are losing faith in your cause, Mercury Black."

Panic slammed into him. His muscles tensed, eyes flicking to the door as he contemplated making a break for it. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. What were his options? Flight? If Adam wouldn't start a scene here, he might be able to make it to the airport. Catch a flight out of Vale. Fleeing Cinder would be a must. Mistral was too obvious and Atlas wasn't much better. Vacuo? She'd expect him to flee where she had the least influence, but at least he could get lost in the desert there.

"Calm yourself," Adam said. "I am as loyal to Cinder as she is to me." Which was to say they were both using one another. "I could not care less if you betray her."

"Can you stop _saying_ that?" Mercury hissed back.

Adam rolled his eyes. "Whatever you wish to call it, then. I've seen the look in your eyes before. It's the look of someone who is considering jumping ship, even if they have not made the decision just yet."

Despite the assurance, Mercury's fingers still tapped nervously on his mug. He snatched and ate a piece of cake, hoping the sugar would do something for his nerves. Not even that could get him past the sudden fear he felt. If Cinder or Emerald caught wind of this, he was dead. Cinder might not even wait long enough to find out if it was true or not. He didn't have a Semblance or anything that made him as invaluable as Emerald or Roman's pet, Neo. He could be replaced.

His first instinct was to keep denying it, but the look on Adam's face said that wouldn't work.

"You'll not tell her. I could make your life hell for the few days before I'm killed…"

"I have no interest in aiding her with her affairs," Adam said with a shrug. "We are allies by necessity and certainly not friends."

"You're pointing it out to blackmail me," he realised. "You're saying that I can turn coat if I want, but if I try and implicate the White Fang or you…"

"I see we've reached an understanding."

Damn it. Adam was a lot more cunning than Cinder gave him credit for if he could pull something like this. The guy had him by the balls, even if he made it _sound_ like a generous offer. "Yeah, we have," he said, eating another slice of cake. "I've nothing against your lot."

"Good." For the first time, Adam took a slice himself and bit into it. "I'm curious as to what is driving your division, however. You did not strike me as the most caring of individuals."

Adam wanted his reasons? His life story? He almost snorted but, knowing that Adam could end him at a moment's notice, gave him what he wanted. "I'm not. Couldn't care less about anyone other than me, but I'm not actually getting anything out of following her. When she found me, she was looking for my dad, who I'd just killed. He was a piece of shit. She gave me the offer to join instead and… well, I wasn't exactly in a great position to say no."

"Assumed loyalty, then. A foolish mistake on her part."

"I think it's arrogance myself," Mercury said. "Not that I'd ever say it to her, but Cinder is so sure she has everything on lockdown that she doesn't even consider the fact I might run. Then again, maybe she just doesn't think it'd matter if I did…"

"Do you intend to?"

"Don't think so. Where would I go? What would I do? I'm not actually against her goals, so it's not like there's anything holding me back. If I saw something better to jump to, I might, but right now I'd be leaving her to do nothing. Run away and hide. Life wouldn't be any better that way." At the end of the day, his options just weren't the best. "Fuck me. Well, in for a lien. Long as we're being candid and you know I can't reveal anything you say lest you ruin me, what do _you_ think of everything that's going on?"

Adam chuckled. It was, surprisingly enough, not an evil or condescending sound.

"There aren't as many secrets with me as you'd think. I believe in my cause, I fight for my cause and I am willing to do what I must for my cause. Cinder Fall seeks to use us and so long as our goals align, I shall allow her to believe she is."

"Doesn't that go against your whole thing, though? I mean, you're rebelling against humans controlling you, yet letting another do so."

"A true general knows that winning the war is more important than winning every battle. The compromise angers me, that's true, but the benefits outweigh my displeasure. If I cannot sacrifice my ego for the cause, then what right do I have to ask other men and women to sacrifice their life?"

Put like that, it made sense. Hell, put like that, Adam came across as one of the more rational people he knew, which was definitely saying something.

"If you wish to flee, your best opportunity would be when the attack begins…"

Mercury swallowed. "Yeah, I figured that out myself…"

"I would not stop you. You're not actually required for anything on my end, and, I'll admit, I would take some pleasure in seeing her face once she realises."

Despite the danger, Mercury laughed. He'd like to see it, too. Preferably from several hundred miles away.

"Do you ever regret it?" Mercury asked. "What you do?"

"Occasionally."

"Yeah?" He was surprised, to be honest. He'd thought Adam would laugh the idea off.

"I do not regret our cause, nor the steps we've been forced to take. Some things are necessary, but that does not mean I cannot regret being forced to take them. Despite the mask I sometimes wear, I am not a Grimm. Also, there are certain decisions I have made, certain words that went unsaid, that I regret more than anything else…" Adam trailed off, and then reached for his mug. "Regret is a part of life. Anyone who claims not to feel it lies."

"Yeah," Mercury said, reaching for his own. "I'll drink to that."

/-/

Jaune tried not to scream when Cinder tapped on the window of his front door. He did jump, however, before he hurried over with a strained expression and unlocked it. The woman stepped inside, one eyebrow artfully raised as she took in his quaking form.

"Did I startle you, Jaune? I apologise."

"S-Sorry. I was just on edge."

"Oh? Whatever for?"

Crap, crap, crap. What was he supposed to say?

"Café Prime?" Cinder asked, ironically giving him an out. "I've heard they've been quiet recently, but I thought it was more to avoid any more scandals."

"Y-Yeah. I was just afraid they'd try something… you know, get desperate."

Nodding, she placed a hand on his shoulder. The hand that wanted to destroy Beacon was comforting him, and Jaune was _not_ sure what to think about that, _or_ the sympathetic smile she offered.

"It is fine, Jaune. If anything happens, tell me. I will deal with it in my own way."

Images of Café Prime on fire and Alexander Sterling transfixed on a pike flashed through his mind. To his horror, he didn't _feel_ much horror at the thought. "Um. Yeah. Thanks. I'm fine, though. Roman is inside," he added, nodding to the table set in the centre of the main room. "I've got drinks on the boil. Will Emerald and Mercury be catching up?"

"They are waiting for our guest outside. Don't worry. And thank you again for your hospitality, Jaune. I've been looking forward to a good drink." Patting his arm one final time, Cinder smiled and pushed by, strolling over towards Roman and Neo.

Jaune, meanwhile, slipped behind the counter, relieved to be able to hide his face behind one of his machines. He'd come up with absolutely no plan through the day. No great ideas, no inspiration and no out he could use to escape the current situation. In the end, his great idea was to play along – at least for tonight. One day really wasn't enough warning on Roman's part to find a way out of this, and there were still a few weeks until Vytal. No reason to immediately panic.

Once this was over, he'd have more time to corner Roman and try to find out more. For now, he'd follow the thief's advice and not tell anyone else for fear of what would happen to them, but Roman clearly wasn't into the idea of destroying Beacon either. Maybe they could find some common ground.

First things first, he needed to make sure Cinder didn't catch on to the fact he knew what she was up to. _Which means I need to calm down. Calm. Calm. Stop jumping at shadows and acting like you've got a terrible secret you need to hide._

It wasn't easy.

When Mercury and Emerald eventually came back in, they were accompanied by a figure Jaune recognised. Red hair, a stern expression and horns hidden among his locks. The hoodie was down, but it was clearly Adam, another one of his regular.

 _He's involved in this as well? Why are all my customers either huntsmen or terrorists!?_

Ducking his head, he prepared some cakes on trays and drinks to follow, bringing them out and serving to each of the criminals seated around the table. Roman met his eyes firmly, the message clear. Neo also watched, though her expression was unreadable. What it _wasn't_ was the mischievous smile he was used to seeing.

"Thank you, Jaune," Cinder said. "We'll be sure to call you back if we need anything."

Dismissed, he made his way back over to the counter and fiddled with his accounts, keeping his eyes busy. The conversation that sparked at the table was… utterly mundane. Too mundane. The criminals talked about house prices, property figures and portfolios. It was so ridiculous that he _knew_ it couldn't be real.

Did they have a way to change what was said? Was it all a ridiculous code? He might have believed that if they'd talked ominously about a `house market crash` coming up around the time of the Vytal Festival, but they didn't. Roman argued to sell more properties and liquidate their assets, while Cinder wanted to expand their portfolio and move into the rental market.

All the while, Emerald kept an eye on _him_ for some reason. Jaune broke his gaze with her, embarrassed to have been caught, and focused on his tax returns once more.

/-/

"-Vytal Festival."

"White Fang prepared."

"CCT Tower."

"I shall handle the tower myself."

Ruby swallowed and pressed her ear against the door a little more, trying to catch more. The conversation down in the main room was telling, way too much so. They weren't even _trying_ to pretend this wasn't illegal. White Fang, Vytal Festival, the CCT? She had to tell Ozpin.

But then, what would happen to Jaune?

 _He's letting these people use his diner to plan their horrible plots,_ a part of her said. _But he wouldn't do that, and he's only letting them talk here,_ another countered, _it's not like he can say no to dangerous criminals, right? He can't fight._ It would have been easier to say that if he would have at least looked _against_ the idea the first time. Ruby bit her lip and wrung her hands together.

Confronting them was a no-no. Weiss might call her reckless, but there was a difference between that and stupidity. No one was in danger of being killed, so she didn't have to rush down and save anyone. This was an information gathering mission. Nothing more.

"I want Blake."

Blake? What? Who? Why?

"You shall have her."

No, no, no. Blake was taken. Team RWBY wasn't up for negotiations.

"I need to use the bathroom," a new voice suddenly said.

Ruby froze.

"Ask Jaune if you can go upstairs," a woman replied.

Backing slowly away from the door, Ruby's eyes darted left and right, considering Jaune's dinky little apartment that she'd broken into. The window was still open, as planned, but hiding space was limited. Very limited. Footsteps echoed on the stairs, startling her all the more. Oh, come on! Couldn't Jaune have said no for _once_ in his life?

Without thinking on it, Ruby dragged open the closest door that wasn't the bathroom, revealing a linen cupboard of some sort. Scrambling up onto the shelf, she huddled atop the folded towels and dragged the door shut, just as the main door connecting the apartment to the diner opened.

"I appreciate it, man," a male voice said.

"No problem," Jaune replied. Two shadows passed before Ruby's hiding place. She held her breath. "You know where it is."

"Yeah, I'm good."

A door opened and closed, probably the toilet. Ruby continued to hold her breath, wishing Jaune would move away from the corridor so she could make a run for it. She had everything she needed to know, and this was pushing her luck. Cramped as she was, she tried to shift her feet just a little bit to stop her boots digging into her butt.

 _Creak_

Her eyes darted to the shelf beneath her, wooden and tilting precariously towards the closed door now. Slowly, with great panic, Ruby tried to lean backwards and balance it out.

 _C-Creak_ – _Crack_

The shelf shifted forward an inch, off the wall behind it. _No,_ Ruby thought, eyes wide. _Come on, shelf. You can do it. You're strong, powerful. I'm tiny!_ She locked her hands on the walls on either side of her to try and lift some of the weight. _Stay strong. Just for another minute or two!_

The wooden plank beneath her gave way. It wasn't the wood breaking so much as the shelf coming off the wall behind. Now tilted down, it slid free of its bindings and sent her tumbling into the door frame. Towels flew in every direction as Ruby, the shelf and most of the linen in the closet _crashed_ out into the corridor, directly in front of Jaune's feet.

A white towel resting atop her head, Ruby looked up at her bestest friend nervously. He looked horrified.

"H-Hey."

"What was that!?" the guy in the toilet asked. There was the loud sound of someone struggling with their pants. It was followed by the door handle clicking down. Ruby's eyes widened, realising exactly what was about to happen.

"Nothing!" Jaune yelled. He stooped, grabbed a towel and brought it up quickly, blindsiding the guy trying to leave the bathroom with it, and also obscuring his vision past the white and fluffy fabric. "Just thought you might want a clean towel to wash your hands with."

Without giving the guy a chance to respond, Jaune threw the towel up and over his head. The guy fell back, stumbling and cursing.

As that happened, Jaune snatched Ruby by the arm and hauled her to her feet. No chance to talk, Ruby bit back a yelp as he dragged her back into the kitchenette and pushed her behind the fridge. It was a pathetic hiding spot, the person in the bathroom sure to see her if he tried to leave the apartment. Ruby held her breath.

"J-Jaune. What the hell?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking how you'd need to wash your hands. There's a towel."

"There was already one in there. Not to mention I already washed my hands."

Ruby stiffened. If he walked past…

"I used that towel to shower this morning."

Ruby blinked. What was _that_ supposed to change?

"And…?" the guy asked, thinking the same thing as her.

"Well, it's just that I had a really big night the night before, you know." Jaune's face was an odd mix of white and red as he rambled on, pulling excuses out his butt. "Miltia and I didn't, uh, _do anything_ , but I was pretty frustrated if you know what I mean. Relieved myself in the shower and used that towel to dry off."

There was a pregnant pause for a few seconds, before the door suddenly slammed shut and the sound of running water and a man going "arghhhh!" echoed through the apartment. Ruby's face was puce as Jaune dragged her out, rushing past the door to force her into his bedroom.

"What the hell are you doing here!?" he hissed.

"M-Me?" Ruby stammered back. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I live here!"

Oh, right. Yeah. Not what she'd meant! "With them," she added, pointing at the door. "Jaune, they're crim-"

The door began to open once more.

Jaune placed both hands on her shoulders and _pushed_. The door was already shut by the time she fell back onto his bed. "Oof," she grunted, bouncing on it twice. "N-Not nice." Better than being caught, but still.

"Thanks for that," the other guy said sarcastically. "Mental images I didn't need, not to mention thinking what that touched."

"Ha ha," Jaune's laugh was nervous. "I did try to warn you."

"Yeah. Speaking of warnings, mind if we have a word? Privately?"

"Um. Okay?"

"Not here," the guy said, "Wouldn't put it past Emerald to be listening in."

"Wait, not in there!"

With no warning whatsoever, the bedroom door's handle pushed down. Screaming internally, Ruby _threw_ herself to the side, rolling off the bed with so much force that she flung off and hit the back wall with a soft _thump_. She'd only just hit the floor when the door opened, and two pairs of feet appeared on the other side of the bed. Ruby shimmied her way underneath it, relying on the overhanging fabric on the edges to keep her hidden.

"Not in here, what?" the guy said.

"I-I was afraid you'd think it a mess," Jaune reflected, relieve obvious in his voice. "I didn't clean up."

"Looks alright to me."

"I'm a demanding cleaner."

"You'd know more about it than me I guess." The mattress flexed above her as someone sat down, the imprint they left causing a bulge to come down beside her head. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Take a seat. I mean, it's your bed."

"Uh. Sure."

Jaune sat, and Ruby gasped as the bed came down directly atop her chest, squashing her breasts against her ribcage. _N-Not there,_ she whined internally, struggling to slither free. Jaune was big, though. Big and heavy. _Erk!_

"I just wanted to give you a heads up," the guy said, flexing a little on the bed, enough so that his indent came over her shoulder, half-crushing her there as well. "You're a pretty cool guy and everything, but you need to invest in a little more security."

"Security…? You mean after the break in?"

"Yeah, I guess. But think bigger. There's a lot of Grimm out there. Don't you think you could do with some bars behind your windows or something?"

"Bars? Grimm?" Jaune laughed. "Mercury, there haven't been Grimm in the city of Vale for ages. I don't think _anyone_ bars up all their windows. It would make the diner look like a prison."

"Maybe your apartment, then. It's just not very safe."

"It's also not mine," Jaune said. "I'm renting it and now that Café Prime technically owns it… let's just say I don't think they'll give me permission to install things like iron bars on the window, even if Sterling would love the idea of me in a cell. Why are you so worried about Grimm anyway?"

 _Y-Yeah,_ Ruby thought, struggling to breathe but still listening intently, _W-Why the G-Gri- oh God, Jaune, you weigh a tonne! Lose some weight!_

"It's just a concern."

Jaune was silent for a moment, and when he spoke, his voice was different. Complicated. "Is it a concern I ought to be immediately aware of?"

The voice of the other guy hitched for a moment. When _he_ spoke, it was eerily similar. Too calm, too casual. "Yeah. Yeah, I think it is."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for letting me know, Merc."

"What are friends for, hey?"

To Ruby's immense relief, the guy stood up, the mattress flexing back off her body. Jaune – weighed ten times her weight – Arc was still sat on her boobs, but she'd take what she could get. She'd also apologise for every time she'd failed to be sympathetic when Yang complained about the pains of having a larger bust.

"I'll leave you to clean up," the guy said. "Don't be too long, yeah? Otherwise Emerald get curious."

The bedroom door opened and closed once more, followed by the sound of the man's footsteps echoing down the hall and then another door, the one to Jaune's apartment. Jaune moved as well, the weight _finally_ releasing her. Ruby let out a long, heavy sigh.

It was quickly followed by a squeak as the fabric was torn back and Jaune's face appeared – upside down – glaring at her.

"Hello Ruby. Fancy meeting you here. Care to explain?"

"Um."

Think fast. Quick excuse.

"I wanted another sleepover?"

/-/

Mercury hopped off the bottom step and down onto the ground floor once more. He walked back into the main foyer, immediately catching Emerald's eye. She was watching to see when Jaune came back so she could catch him in her Semblance.

"Where is he?" she asked. "I heard a crash upstairs. Something up?"

Humming, Mercury considered the question, stretching the silence out just to rile her up. Also, because it was expected. He supposed he ought to tell her about the girl from Beacon hiding under the bed upstairs. It wasn't as easy to hide that ridiculous red cape as she seemed to think it was, and he didn't think he'd ever seen another person wear a bight red cape everywhere they went.

Course, Cinder would send him and Emerald up to _deal_ with her.

Mercury's eyes slid to Adam. The faunus was watching him.

Regret, huh?

Mercury grinned.

"Nah. I just knocked some shit over."

"Ugh. You clumsy idiot."

"Yep. That's me." Slipping by the irate girl, Mercury took his seat and nodded once to Taurus, kicking his feet back up onto the table as Cinder and Roman went over their plans. It was more of a whim than anything, but it was the first big decision he'd really made because _he_ wanted to, not because his dad did, and not because of Cinder.

If he was being honest with himself, it felt good.

Real good.

* * *

 **Welp. This story isn't one that has a full plot per se, being a little more slice of life, but I really wanted to tackle Mercury in this once, since I've kind of left him a little lacking compared to some other characters in past fics. Only real way to bring some conflict re him, however, is to bring in the Cinder plot.**

 **Poor spy-Ruby. Really not as great as you think you are.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 29** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	38. Chapter 38

**So, turns out Adam has some – ah – physical aspects that would make it all but impossible for him to hide without his mask on like he does in this fic. Lol. Light way of putting it. Honestly, I like the addition – adds some character – but obviously just assume this is AU and that one aspect of his past didn't happen.**

 **It shouldn't affect much.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 38**

* * *

"Thank you again, Jaune. You've been a generous host as always." Cinder drew forth a little extra lien and placed it into his hands. "A tip. Why don't you use it to go on holiday or something? You could use a little time off."

"I'll consider it."

"That's all I ask. Come Emerald, Mercury. I'm sure Jaune wants to get to sleep at last."

Emerald nodded and followed Cinder dutifully, while Mercury slid by with a wink and a wave. "See you later, bro. Try not to let the bed bugs bite – unless you want them to!" He laughed at a joke neither Jaune nor Emerald understood.

"Ugh. You're such a doofus. Goodnight, Jaune."

"Y-Yeah. Goodnight." Jaune waited until they were all gone, Roman and Neo having left before them, and locked the door. For safety's sake he drew down the blinds too, only allowing his panic to show once he was sure they couldn't see him. He slumped back against the door, blinds crinkling against his back. "Holy shit. I can't believe I'm still alive."

Alive, well and quite a bit of lien richer – for all that it burned a hole in his hand now. Quite possibly blood money. He tossed it down on the counter and stared at it. Whatever its means, it was still lien. It would be more suspicious if he didn't take it.

 _Just don't ask where it came from,_ he told himself, pushing it into the safe beneath the till. _Last thing I need is to find out I'm the prime source of money laundering in Vale or something. Though, it would explain why I have so many customers who are criminals._

Cinder, Roman, Mercury, Emerald, Neo and now Adam, too. Gods, were there more?

Well, there was Blake. Technically speaking, she fit the bill.

A bump sounded from upstairs.

Oh yeah, and Ruby. Breaking and entering was a crime, wasn't it? Risking his life ought to have been one too or shaving twenty years off his life through panic alone. Downing the remains of Cinder's cooling drink, he wiped his mouth, slammed the mug down and stomped up the stairs, making sure Ruby could _hear_ his annoyance.

He found her sat on his couch, munching on a packet of biscuits. Ruby froze, one near her mouth as he stormed in and planted his hands on his hips.

"Um. Hey?"

"Hey? Hey!? What the hell were you thinking, Ruby?"

Swallowing quickly, Ruby brushed some crumbs from her mouth. "I was thinking about how my best friend is apparently letting dangerous criminal come and use his shop to host their dastardly meetings."

"Don't make this about me. You broke into my apartment!"

"Dangerous criminals!"

"Breaking and entry!"

"Dangerous criminals!"

"Damn it, Ruby." He threw his arms in the air and collapsed into the one-seater couch. "What do you want from me? What was I supposed to say to them? No, I won't let you rent my café as a conference room because you're planning nefarious crimes – oh, by the way, please don't kill me for having figured out the truth? What would _you_ have done?"

"Fought them."

"Yeah. Exactly. And what should _I_ have done?"

"Not fought them…" Ruby said miserably. "But that doesn't make it okay to hide what's going on either! You could have told me."

"And had you come to listen in, putting both yourself and me in danger?"

"I wouldn't have done that!"

Jaune raised a single eyebrow.

"Uh, I mean, okay, maybe, but I'd have been better prepared."

"Ruby, you would have told you _entire team_ , and I'd have had to deal with hiding four people up here. Four people, one of whom is Blake, who _pathologically_ cannot stay hidden if the words `White` and `Fang` are mentioned in the same sentence."

"She's not that bad…" Even Ruby didn't sound convinced. "And besides, we could have dealt with them and kept you safe."

"Sure. Not knowing anything about how strong they are, what they can do and knowing full well that if you _fail_ , I get to take the blame for it. Probably being killed in the process. At least that's what Roman seemed to think…"

"Ahah! So you _did_ know!"

"I only just found out. Like, yesterday. A whole day before they arrived and after already having hosted them before."

"Do you expect me to believe that? They were talking out loud about their evil plans. Even I heard them."

"Were they? All I heard was nonsense about the housing market, investments and property discussions." He paused as Ruby tilted her head to the side, confused. "I'm guessing that's not what actually happened."

"Uh. No. They were pretty explicit." Ruby watched his face, looking for any deceit. He wasn't sure what she found, but she looked satisfied. "It could have been a Semblance. Maybe make you hear things that aren't true or replace the air around you with random noise. I guess it makes sense they wouldn't talk about stuff like that in front of you." Her eyes lit up. "And that means you're not a criminal! You're not guilty."

"I am by association."

Ruby winced.

"Besides, it's not being guilty that's the problem here. Imagine what'll happen if Cinder figures out that I ratted her out. It wouldn't matter that you found out on your own; I'd still be a witness to get rid of. I can't hide in Beacon like you or even defend myself if things get bad."

"I-I can defend you," Ruby whined. "We can protect you."

"Ruby... I appreciate the thought, but I doubt you can. You have school, classes, the festival. I have my work. You can't keep an eye on me all the time while they can wait until the exact moment they know you're busy to strike. Or, you know, just shoot me through the window when I least expect it. I don't have the aura training you do – no way I'd be able to get it up in time."

"So, that's it? There's nothing we can do?" Ruby sunk into her seat, despondent. "I refuse to believe that."

Jaune's fingers drummed on the armrest of his seat as an idea came to him. "There's nothing _I_ can do," he said slowly. "I've been trying to think up a way out since Roman told me, but I'm screwed. I'm weak, outnumbered and ultimately just one guy running a diner. I'm not hero material even if I had a plan. But you. You are."

"Uh… I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"You're a huntress."

"In training!"

"You're a hero."

"In training!"

"You can find a way to stop them."

"In trai-" Ruby cut off, swallowed and shook her head. "W-What? Why me?"

"Because you _can_ fight. You _can_ do something, and you _can_ look after yourself and rely on your team to watch your back. Let's face it, Ruby, I'm pretty much useless."

"That's not true! You're a good friend, a good businessman and you make a mean cup of-"

"I meant useless here. Not in general life."

"Oh." Ruby sat down again, her `you're better than you think you are` speech dying on her lips. She considered what he'd just said and nodded. "Yeah, you kind of are."

 _Don't be annoyed, Jaune. She's agreeing with you._

"Right." His brow twitched. "My point is, even if I could come up with a plan to stop them, I wouldn't be able to act on it. You can, though. You've got Ozpin, Glynda and everyone else on your side. Plus, if _you_ act against them, they shouldn't be able to trace it back to me."

Ruby's smile glowed. "Keeping you safe."

"Yep."

The smile fell. "And putting all the pressure on me…"

"Yep."

"A-And I can't tell anyone the full story because my team would do something stupid and put you in trouble."

"Yep. Or, well, Blake would."

"She's really not _that_ bad…"

"She really is. Anyway, it's the responsibility of huntsmen and huntresses to deal with the big bad people anyway, especially when they're huntsman-level as well. Not like the police can do anything. Think of this as work experience."

"Work experience…" Ruby's expression was flat. "Saving the entire Kingdom is work experience…"

"It's a matter of scale. For my job, having someone brew coffee is work experience. For yours, saving the world is work experience. It fits."

"That's not fair at all!"

"Life isn't fair," he said, remembering one of his father's many lessons. "I wanted to get into Beacon and didn't. I tried to become a Hero but wasn't good enough. Now, you get your chance to be the hero. Good luck, Ruby! I believe in you!"

"H-Hey! I didn't ask for this."

"You kind of did. You broke into my apartment and listened in. What did you _expect_ to hear?"

Ruby sat speechless.

"I'll help if I can," he promised, "But since I was trapped in someone's Semblance, I didn't even hear what the plan is. I literally have no idea what's going on. That's all you."

"I can tell you," Ruby said quickly.

"No, no, no. The less witnesses the better."

"The less witnesses the more I have to do on my own!"

"It's okay. I believe in you."

"I DON'T!"

"Really? You should. My Dad always says that all you need is a little confidence."

"Your dad's advice is terrible!"

"Hey. It got me this far."

"This far being our current situation." Ruby groaned into her hands. "Which is awful. Very, very awful. Heck, you applied to Beacon with _zero qualifications_ based on that advice. Which, I'll admit, was pretty confident all things considered… but maybe not even remotely intelligent."

Jaune shuffled a little, not quite able to deny Ruby's point. "Well, what advice did _your_ parents give you?"

"Mom said to never trust blonde-haired blue-eyed men. They're only trouble."

"Really?"

"No. She married one." Ruby grunted. "But she should have said it! Would have saved me a lot of trouble. Can I at least tell some people?"

"You can tell whoever you want as long as I'm kept out of it. Just tell them the truth; that I didn't seem able to hear what they were talking about and I heard innocent things. Don't get me wrong, Ruby, I _want_ to help you do this and if you have any ideas of how I can, great. Let me know and I'll do whatever I can. It's just… Well, what _can_ I do?"

"Nothing." Ruby sighed as she realised it. Or rather, as she accepted it. "There's nothing you can do. You could barely fight off Café Prime, let alone a terrorist organisation. Ugh. I really hate you sometimes, Jaune. You're my friend, but sometimes I wish you weren't."

"Look on the bright side."

"What bright side?"

"This'll look really good on your résumé."

"Hate you _so_ much… Can you at least do _something_ to help?"

"I can serve good coffee to bad people and hope that somehow fixes all our problems."

/-/

"This is good coffee."

"Thank you."

Jaune's lawyer – or rather the SDC's lawyer – was not necessarily an evil man but considering that he was the legal representative for one of the most culpable men on the planet, and that he'd defended Jacques Schnee against all manner of cruel business practices, he probably was evil to the core. At least Roman didn't make excuses for his crimes.

But, to be fair, this evil man was on his side, so he let it go.

"How is the case going?"

"As expected. Café Prime don't really have a leg to stand on with some of these charges – especially your eviction notice. It's all showmanship, threats. They were hoping to intimidate you into giving in once you realised the costs of hiring a legal team to handle all of this. Quite out o your budget, I'm afraid."

Jaune winced. "And now…?"

"Handled by the SDC, so there's no worrying on your part. I'm being paid by the hour."

And spending that hour drinking coffee at one of his tables, his briefcase shut on the desk before him. His lawyer hadn't really done anything since arriving, or at least not anything visible, but considering he hadn't seen Sterling in what felt like days, this `nothing` was working wonders.

"Okay, I'll bite. Why haven't you done any legal work yet?"

The man chuckled. "I wondered when you'd ask. Well, Mr Arc, I'm holding off because frankly, this serves your purposes better. Yes, I could have had all of this documentation sorted through and dealt with days ago, but Café Prime saw fit to give you a deadline of two weeks and I intend to milk that."

"For more money from the SDC?"

"Goodness no. For more negative media coverage of course. The public is ripping Café Prime apart and I've little desire to expediate the case and see that drawn to a close. Let them stew in their own mess for a little bit. I dare say they've earned it."

 _My God, he really is evil…_

Then again, he'd been threatened, blackmailed, attacked and belittled over and over again. There had been more than enough sleepless nights for him that the thought of Sterling going through the same wasn't quite as sympathetic as it should have been.

"Another coffee?"

"Please."

Leaving the solicitor with another drink and some cake, Jaune scanned the patrons once more and breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't find Cinder or any of her minions. They didn't come every day of course, but he wasn't sure how relaxed he could have acted if they'd been present so soon after what he'd learned the night before.

Team RWBY were absent, too. He wasn't sure if Ruby had told the rest the truth or if she was just angry at him for lumping all the responsibility on her. _But it's not like it isn't her responsibility. Or that of huntsmen. Besides, she can just tell Ozpin and be done with it._ As long as it was clear that it wasn't him who had done so.

Now, if there was a way he could get _Ironwood_ in the know without incriminating himself, that would be good. Hm. Maybe that was something to talk to Roman about.

"Jaune," Russel called. "Your owner is here."

"My owner?"

"He knows how it is," Miltia said, sashaying into Jaune's like she owned the place – or him. Making her way to the counter, Miltia drew her legs up onto the seat and winked at him. "The usual, babe. Junior woke up with a hangover and is begging for caffeine, the fucking man-child."

"No Melanie today?"

"Who do you think he was drinking with?"

"Ah. I'll include some painkillers along with the order."

"Hm. Coffee and painkillers. Now that's my man."

Jaune laughed and began to collect her order, much of it already prepared since they came at the same time every single day. It was just a matter of stacking them all in cardboard containers so that Miltia could carry them easily. Luckily, she'd brought three mooks along, the uniformed gangsters standing awkwardly behind her, unused to being surrounded by people who not only didn't care about them but would have no problem dealing with them if they tried anything.

"They new?" he asked.

Miltia rolled her eyes. "Fresh meat. Coffee shift is the intern shift."

"Kind of weird to see that holds true for criminal empires as well as normal business…"

"Yeah, well, it's always easier to make the new guy handle everything." Miltia raised her voice a little. "I'm here to make sure they don't try anything stupid. And to see my boyfriend, of course." Leaning forward, Miltia pursed her lips and waited.

It was embarrassing with so many people watching – and _everyone_ had turned to watch, sensing some prime live entertainment happening – but he leaned in nonetheless and kissed her. From behind her, it might have looked chaste and sweet, but Miltia took her chance to nibble on his lip, swipe her tongue across it and stare at him with smoky eyes.

"Hm," she said, leaning back. "That's the kind of pick-me-up I can get behind."

"Do you have to tease me like this?"

"Whenever I have the chance." She kissed him again, quickly this time, and pulled back. "Still waiting on those flowers, lover, and what comes after. That part especially."

Finally, his control gave and his cheeks flushed bright red. Miltia instantly cheered, that being her goal from the start.

"You're terrible."

"Now, _that_ I'll admit to. Well, I'd stay and make out with you all day, but you've got work and I've got a hungover twin sister." Miltia sighed. "One of those is harder work than the other. Look after yourself, lover boy. I'll see if I can't drag Melanie down tomorrow to join in on the teasing."

"Do you have to say it so blatantly!?"

Forcing the bags into her mooks' hands, Miltia blew him a kiss as she strolled away. "Mwah! Later, baby."

Russel waited for the door to close before he clicked his tongue, making `whip lash` noises loudly.

"Oh, shut up. Go get a girlfriend yourself before you take the piss out of me."

"He'd need a girl willing to put up with him first," Velvet drawled, coming by with an order. "Or his hair. Unlikely in either case."

"Ganging up on me, now? Sure, that's fair."

"Jaune's my boss. You're just a colleague. Sorry, you were always going to lose out."

"Ha flipping ha."

Jaune listened to the two go at it with a smile. He almost thought they might be able to hit it off themselves if they gave it a chance, but he had a feeling he'd be in for a world of denials and protests if he so much as suggested it. That said, he knew Yang had money on the two at least making out by the time the year ended.

He has fifty lien riding on it himself.

"Hey, Russel, Velvet."

"Hm?" The two spoke in unison and turned to him. They weren't involved and he intended to keep it that way for their own safety, but he trusted their opinions. They'd never done him wrong. At least not when it counted.

"If you had a problem come up that you weren't sure how to deal with, what would you do?"

Russel and Velvet exchanged looks. "Depends on the kind of problem," Russel said.

"Imagine it's that you've seen some pickpockets. Crooks of some kind."

Russel shrugged. "I'd bring them down and call the police."

"Same," Velvet said.

"Uh. Okay. Not super helpful." He thought of a better way to explain it. "Okay, what if you saw some really dangerous crooks that you knew were deadly. Let's say White Fang or something. You know, genuinely dangerous criminals."

"Right." Velvet nodded, understanding. "Well, I'd get Coco up on a rooftop with her minigun, me beside her and Fox watching us. Yatsu would walk in and scare them out into the open and we'd pin them down. Yatsu could then knock 'em out at his leisure."

"Nice," Russel complimented, nodding at the brutal plan. "Me? I'd point Pyrrha at them and be done with it."

"Yes, well, we can't all have Pyrrha Nikos on speed dial."

"Heh." Russel grinned smugly. "I can."

"You're so irritating…"

Again, not exactly what he was looking for. Jaune palmed his face and sighed. "Is there any way you would deal with a dangerous problem _without_ attacking it in some way? Like, I don't know, diplomacy or careful strategy?"

"Boss, you're asking a huntsman and a huntress how to handle a problem."

"He _is_ right, Jaune. We're not exactly taught how to do things – uh – nicely. But if you want an arm broken, I can do it in ten or more different ways unarmed. Hundreds more with a weapon."

"And we can storm a building." Russel said. "Even if it's fortified by a hundred people."

"And plan an evacuation from Grimm."

"Make a weapon out of sticks and rocks."

"Dismantle and rebuild a fully functioning mecha-shift weapon."

"Survive in hostile conditions for three weeks on grubs and mealworms."

Velvet's eyes narrowed. "Make a weapon out of _literal_ stardust."

Russel crossed his arms. "Pee while standing up."

"What? I can do that!"

"Guys, guys!" Jaune stepped between them, pushing the two apart before the competition could turn violent. Or at least into a shouting match. "Seriously, I could cut the sexual tension with a knife."

"There's no-"

"You're insan-"

"Now," he interrupted, speaking over them. "Are there any _other_ ways you would handle a problem that don't involve some kind of ridiculous knowledge of sticks, rocks and mealworms? Something a _normal person_ could do if they were in trouble?"

Velvet and Russel looked at each other for a long moment.

"Call a huntsman?" Russel offered.

Jaune sighed. "You're useless, both of you."

"We're _specialised_ ," Velvet countered. "Really good at doing one thing – fighting Grimm – and, uh, not very good at a lot of other things. To be fair, most of us have been learning this since age eleven. It's not like there was much time to learn a wide range of topics when half your classes are how to use aura to stop rubber bullets."

"While you were leaning geography and maths, we were learning the best way to navigate a map in the dark and bullet trajectory in windy conditions."

"You huntsmen are loonies."

"Specialised loonies," Russel said, grinning. "Very specialised loonies."

/-/

"Going out again?"

Mercury hummed, turning away from the door to find Emerald stood off to the side, leaning against the wall. "I was thinking of it," he said. "Why? That a problem? Cinder need me for anything?"

It was Cinder who answered, splayed out on the couch in their room. "Not presently."

"It's just that you've been going out a lot," Emerald said. "A lot more than you ever did before. What's changed?"

"Nothing has changed." Mercury kept a straight face, even as Cinder turned subtly in his direction, listening. Trust Emerald to point something out that would catch the boss' attention. Emerald could be a bitch like that.

"Then what are you doing?"

"Killing time. Laying about." He shrugged. "Nothing has changed and that's the issue. I'm just bored. I know we're playing the waiting game for now, but I've never been good at just sitting around doing that. You know how I am."

Cinder nodded, turning back and dismissing his behaviour. There was something to be said for being seen as a sociopathic layabout. Give him a fight and he'd be there, give him someone to kill and he'd be down, but ask him to sit still and do nothing for weeks on end? Sure, but not without a little whining.

Of course, Emerald couldn't accept that, nor the implied sleight towards Cinder. "The plan-"

"Is fine," he interrupted. "The plan is still there. But the plan involves us not sticking out, and frankly, me wandering around here bored is going to do that. Loads of Beacon students go and waste their time at Jaune's. I'm blending in better than you are."

Cinder chuckled darkly on the couch. "He does make a valid point, Emerald. You've been… anti-social."

Emerald looked horrified – and furious. The latter was directed at him. "Yes, Cinder. I'm sorry."

"Now, now, it was only a little criticism. Nothing to apologise over." Cinder never turned to them, too busy taking her own relaxation. Unlike him, she found it anywhere. "Let Mercury spend his time how he wishes. It's no concern of ours so long as he doesn't jeopardise our plans."

"More likely to do that here at Beacon than out at a diner," he pointed out.

"Indeed. Well, if you believe you need my permission, you have it."

"Heh. Thanks." He didn't need it, but the look on Emerald's face at having Cinder turn against her was priceless. He wished he could take a picture and frame it. "You want anything bringing back? Might be a while, but I can carry something."

"A kind offer, but I shall be fine, thank you. Emerald?"

"Uh. N-No. Nothing."

"Emerald…"

"Nothing, thanks," Emerald amended, looking physically sick at having to thank him.

The bigger thing to do would be to let her go, let it go. Naturally, he rubbed it in. "Aw. No probs, Em. I'm always out to do the best for my teammates – not to mention my best friend and partner."

"We are not-"

"You _are_ best friends and partners," Cinder corrected. "As your cover demands."

"Y-Yes. Of course."

"Geez, Em." Mercury rolled his eyes. "Get your head in the game."

" _I will end you,"_ Emerald mouthed.

" _Try it, bitch,"_ he sent back. Louder, he said, "Well, I'll be off then. If you need me for anything drop me a line. I'll keep my scroll on."

"That is appreciated, Mercury. Have fun."

/-/

"He's acting unusual."

"I am aware." Cinder leaned back on her seat and let out a quiet sigh. "But that is no justification for us to act just yet. So far, Mercury has done nothing to harm our goals." Her goals, though she rarely phrased them as such. Better to ensure Emerald felt she was… involved. "It may be as he says, that he is nervous of the upcoming action. This will be his first major move. And yours."

"Yes, and I'm not running around as much as he is."

"People handle stress in different ways."

"Do you think he's a risk?" Emerald asked.

"If he is, he will be dealt with. As for what I believe…" Harder to answer, only because she was so distracted. There was too much to focus on, too many variables. Mercury was an issue but not an immediate one. "There is no one he could go to without incriminating himself. Mercury is involved now and has little chance of escaping unharmed."

"It's not his logic I'm worried about, Cinder. More his loyalty."

"Then you have been looking at things the wrong way for years," she snapped. "We never held Mercury's loyalty, not once."

Emerald made a surprised sound.

"We arrived to hire his father and found him on the verge of death, the building burned down. While it was better to take something rather than nothing, Mercury's recruitment was anything but ideal. He follows my instructions because he is aware what will happen to him if he does not. Loyalty has never played a part in our arrangement."

Mercury was loyal to himself, but then, that was not so difficult to deal with. Few were the people truly loyal to another. Roman cared only for himself and Neo, vice versa as far as she could tell for the little monster herself.

"I'm loyal to you," Emerald protested.

"Of course, Emerald. I know."

She was not, of course. Emerald thought she was, but the truth was far different. Emerald cared only for herself and her comfort, the life she'd been given in the palm of Cinder's hand. Emerald thought she loved her, perhaps that she was _in love_ with her, but that was no different. Emerald did as she asked because it increased the chance that she might appreciate the girl's efforts and reciprocate.

In the end, Emerald followed her orders to _win_ something. Or to keep what she had. Again, loyal only to her own desires, as Cinder was to her own with regards to Salem. She would bow, scrape and make clear her subservience, but only so long as it supported her aims.

Salem knew that, Cinder felt. Every good ruler did.

 _In the end, everyone is selfish. It's just a matter of finding out what they want and dangling it in front of their faces. At least until one's aims are met._

Smiling, Cinder placed her scroll down and picked up a bottle of wine. "Come, Emerald. With Mercury gone, I'm sure the two of us can find out own entertainment. A movie, perhaps? Or just am afternoon to ourselves."

The doubt on Emerald's face disappeared, replaced with a euphoria that was almost too desperate. She was quick to rush over, quick to collect two glasses – and even quicker to sit down next to Cinder, their hips touching, despite the empty seat opposite. Rather than protest, Cinder looked through her lashes at Emerald and smiled coyly, reaching over the girl and brushing her hair against Emerald's arm, reaching for the remote.

Emerald was putty in her hands.

Just as Mercury would be, if he wished to survive.

/-/

"I've got her!"

"Hold her down. Watch out for- OW! Watch out for her feet. Ow! That's it, these heels are going." Twin thuds as a pair of heeled boots hit the back wall and fell to the base.

"Get off me!"

"No!" Weiss snarled. "Not until you promise to use some common sense for a change!"

"I'm not the idiot here. The White Fang-"

Yang slammed her hand over Blake's mouth.

"Oh, thank goodness," Weiss gasped. "I thought she'd never stop."

Ruby, meanwhile, could only despair. Sat on Yang's bed as she was, watching as her sister and partner wrestled their final teammate to the floor before she could reach the door, window or Gambol Shroud. Whichever came first.

 _She's not that bad,_ Ruby's brain mocked, recalling the words she'd used on Jaune earlier. _Blake can be trusted to be calm and composed. She won't do anything stupid._

"Yeah, right…"

Jaune had been right. The very moment she'd mentioned the White Fang, an attack and someone that mentioned her by name, Blake had gone from listening intently to preparing an all-out attack on… well, Ruby didn't know on what. What was Blake's plan, even? Walk out into the city, climb the tallest building and scream a challenge to the White Fang? Run away, skip class and hide out in the city until she mysteriously found an answer and attack them on her own?

Annoyingly, the latter sounded very likely. Stupid Blake…

"And we've got her," Yang cheered, sat on Blake's back with one hand holding Blake's wrist behind her, pinned under one knee. The other was holding her mouth shut still, though the occasional flash of aura showed that Blake was trying to bite her way through. "You got a rope, Weiss?"

"What do I look like, a BDSM expert? I have a belt…"

"That'll do, Weiss. That'll do."

Five minutes later, Blake was back up on the bed and leaning against Yang's side, her ankles strapped together, and her wrists linked behind her back. She didn't look pleased about the whole affair which, Ruby supposed, was fair. The death glares could have used a rest, though.

"Now that everyone is calm and unlikely to do anything foolish, we can continue. Ruby, you said that Jaune seemed oblivious to what was going on?"

"Yeah," Ruby said, lying only a little bit. "I asked him after what they were talking about, pretending I hadn't heard, and he said it was housing or something. I don't think he could have kept a straight face otherwise, and the bad guys didn't even act like they had to hide anything."

"Suggesting an auditory Semblance of some kind," Weiss finished for her. "Yes, that makes sense. Even if Jaune was complicit, they'd not speak so freely in front of him. It would be a needless risk. That you were able to hear perfectly well suggests it's targeted rather than area of effect."

"So, Jaune's innocent," Yang decided. "That's good. Not so great on the others, though. What do we do?"

"We find and deal with them!" Blake said.

"Hm, I'm not sure," Weiss answered, ignoring Blake's suggestion entirely. To be fair, they all did. "Going to Jaune won't yield anything and will just place him in danger. Naturally, confronting them is a bad idea. We've no idea who we're dealing with or how many. Even if we could deal with them, what's to say there isn't someone behind them? A backer or figure organising all of this?"

"Yeah." Ruby nodded, happy that Weiss was taking the lead and that the others – well, Blake not included – were willing to help. Much like Jaune, her plans all came down to `Welp, no idea`. But unlike Jaune, she was probably one of the only people who could do anything to stop this evil plan.

"As I see it, the White Fang are the big problem," Yang said. "They're not strong on their own, but there's a lot of them, which means we can't respond to everything they do. We kind of need Ozpin and the school on board with this."

"Yeah, but if I tell them now, Jaune will get in trouble."

"Ruby is correct," Weiss said. "Even if they believed him innocent, they would question him. That might well lead to Jaune being killed to preserve any secrets."

"Or," Blake said slowly, "We could find and deal with the White Fang and these people _before_ they have a chance to harm him."

"Or," Yang said, "We would find a way to _show_ Ozpin what's going on without incriminating Jaune's diner. Perfect! Nice idea, Blake."

"That's not what I said!"

"Not a bad idea," Weiss said. "Well done, Blake." She ignored Blake's furious howl. "But how do we do that? If we could catch them in the midst of a crime and blame it on luck, that might work. It would seem convenient, but things like that do happen."

"The CCT. I heard them mention dealing with the CCT Tower personally."

"Hm." Weiss tapped her arm with one finger. "Take down the CCT and communications would be limited. Take it over and they'd have free reign to do what they wish. Even small damage might make it inoperable at an opportune moment. More importantly, the CCT is on campus. It wouldn't reflect back onto Jaune if we happened to see something going on there. Why, it might just be bad luck on their parts."

"Great plan!" Ruby cheered. It was perfect, both keeping Jaune out of it _and_ passing on the responsibility to someone else. Sure, she was playing hot potato with a kingdom-threatening conspiracy, but to be fair, Jaune did it to her first.

If she was qualified to deal with this, then Ozpin was doubly qualified!

"We'll work out a rota to keep an eye on it," Yang said. "It's not going to happen during the day. Probably take place when everyone is distracted, especially the teachers."

"The dance is approaching. It might happen then."

"Ruby, you're not using a terrorist conspiracy to escape dressing up and attending the dance." Yang said.

"B-But terrorists…"

"Don't care. I've already ordered your dress. We'll _all_ handle it. Whatever happens, we'll take them on as a team. That means no you wandering off on your own, got it?"

Ruby sighed. "I got it. What about the rest of the bad guys? One of them said he wanted Blake."

"He can't have her," Yang said simply, shrugged. "She's mine."

Weiss cocked an eyebrow. "Yours?"

"Ours, I mean. Team RWBY's."

"Hmm…" Weiss let it go. "I guess all that remains is to convince Blake of the necessity of this plan as opposed to wandering all across Vale just _looking_ for White Fang members to fight."

Blake glared at them, eyes narrowed.

Weiss stood and moved away. "As team leader, I think convincing Blake should be Ruby's responsibility."

"Totally agree, Weiss-cream." Yang stood quickly. "All yours, sis."

Ruby groaned as the two left.

Blake stuck her bottom lip out defiantly.

* * *

 **Ah Blake. You're always so controlled whenever the White Fang are mentioned. Definitely not prone to overreactions or anything. On a side note, while I still haven't watched season 6 yet, I did find all the um… how should I put it? All the different people lusting over Blake, to be amusing.**

 **I have two girls like Jaune and it's a harem fic, but Blake can have half the cast doing the same and it's totally fine. And yet there's still no love for poor old Yang. "Seriously Blake, you have Adam, Ilia and Sun all mooning over you. Can't I have anyone?"**

" **Well, judging by how things are going, you MAY have love in your future."**

" **Really? With who!?"**

 **Blake looked up. "Me."**

" **Damn it, Blake. Stupid harem protagonist and your sexy, sexy… oh God, no..."**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 12** **th** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	39. Chapter 39

**Here we are. Because I'm mentioning it on all fics (at least for a week), I have a new FAQ section on my profile page, which is just to answer some of the really common PM questions I receive like: "Why Jaune" or "Why Blake" or "Can I have you read my story, etc…"**

 **A common one I get asked for Service with a Smile especially is whether people can borrow the story premise for their own story ideas, etc. The answer is always yes, sure, but I've also answered it more fully on my page.**

 **I've had quite a few people want to start stories like SWS and I certainly don't own the idea of a guy opening a coffee shop xD I'm only ever going to be upset if someone literally copy - pastes sections from my work, etc.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 39**

* * *

Service, Jaune knew, always came with a smile.

General Ironwood made that difficult. It wasn't anything against the man himself; yes, he liked his coffee blacker than space and as thick as tar, but Jaune didn't judge people on their taste for coffee. Not usually. Hell, Ruby hadn't even _liked_ coffee when he first met her, and while Ironwood liking Atlesian Black was still a big deal, he was willing to be the bigger person and let such heresy go.

It was more what the General was saying.

"Criminals, Ozpin. Criminals, White Fang and who knows what out there and you still refuse to listen to reason." He slammed a fist on Jaune's table and the lacquered wood _split_ instantly.

"James!" Glynda Goodwitch rebuked, glaring at the general over a latte.

The General flinched and looked down, realised what he'd done and then turned to Jaune with an apologetic grimace. "My apologies," he said, then turned to the left. "Winter. Please compensate him. I have the budget for it."

Winter Schnee primly put down her coffee, rose and cornered Jaune against a wall. He didn't _think_ meant to look so intimidating, but something about her sharp eyes, tall figure, strict dress and the way she held herself did that anyway. When she reached into her white coat, he half expected her to draw out a gun.

When she _did_ , he nearly fainted.

Winter passed the gun to her other hand and dug a little deeper, bringing out a pure white wallet of some kind, from which she brought forth a single card stamped with the symbol of Atlas, and containing her title as Winter Schnee, Specialist.

"Charge it to this. I believe five-thousand lien should suffice."

Nervously, he took the card. "It's only a little bit of damage. I could probably repair it…"

"The meeting is still young. I would not expect the table to survive it."

Jaune wondered if he should ask them to leave as a result and what the response would be. They probably _would_ go. They were officials, not hooligans. He didn't, however. Something stopped him. It might have been how important they were or the fact that he was terrified of them finding out anything about _him_ and he didn't wasn't to draw attention. Either way, he made his way back to the cashier and raked in five thousand lien with a few clicks of a button.

"No pin or signature?" he asked out loud.

"Unnecessary," Winter said, suddenly beside him once more and taking the card back. "No one would dare to misuse the responsibility of owning one of these. Also, transactions are monitored."

"R-Right. Government funds, I guess."

"Something like that." The woman's frown deepened as she looked him up and down. "You are the one that _father_ is helping." The way she said `father` hinted at things he didn't want to get into. "Why is it that he supports you?"

"I don't know. I assumed it was because Weiss is a friend of mine-"

"That would not be enough."

"Then I have no idea," he said honestly. "I just know that the SDC's lawyer showed up, took over my case, scared Café Prime into hiding and now drops by every morning to drink exactly two cups of coffee, one decaff and then one caffeinated, and that he leaves at exactly 10:30 every day."

"Hm. Punctual."

 _I was going to say obsessive-compulsive myself…_

"I will speak to my sister then," Winter said, watching him for any reaction.

Since he wasn't sure _what_ she actually was looking for, Jaune shrugged and acted naturally. That seemed to please the woman – or at least it didn't _displease_ her; he wasn't sure she could be pleased.

"Your coffee is adequate."

"Thank you?"

"Your venue meets the expected hygiene requirements."

"Uh. Thank you? Again?"

Winter nodded gracefully. "You are welcome."

He watched in confusion as she returned to the General's table and sat down, folding both hands atop the table and sitting quietly. _Wait, was that her way of complimenting me? Wow. She's worse than Ruby._

He wasn't sure _why_ the teachers and Ironwood had come to his diner to hold what sounded like an important meeting. Actually, it might not have been one at all, but General Ironwood certainly made it – and everything he did – look and sound like it was important. Either way, the rest of the patrons were blatantly listening in. It wasn't every day important people came, sat down nearby and started to shout at one another.

Well, unless you worked in politics.

 _They can't be here to arrest me, though. There's no way they'd do this is Ruby blabbed to them. They'd just come and arrest me themselves._ He didn't think for a second Ruby _would_ have told on him, but there was always the chance she'd been overheard.

Ruby was loyal to her friends.

Loyal, but not subtle.

"Things have been relatively peaceful of late," Ozpin said, nursing his fourth cup of coffee. Each previous had been a different blend and Jaune relished the challenge of making each and every one exciting.

Ozpin was a man who indulged his taste buds. Jaune could respect that.

"Peaceful!?" Ironwood hissed, striking the table again. Yep, that was another crack. "The White Fang caused a huge commotion and a fire on the docks. You have stolen military equipment in their hands."

"Which belonged to you," Ozpin pointed out.

"And which was brought to Vale," Ironwood countered. "I'll admit our fault in losing it but does the fact that they _specifically_ brought it here not tip you off just a little as to the fact they might be looking to use it!? Unless you think they just wanted a very expensive paperweight."

"It would be quite the conversation piece."

"Ozpin…"

"I know, James. I know. I acknowledge that we have problems – what Kingdom doesn't? – but bringing your military here and stationing them around the festival is not going to make things better. You'll look like an invading army."

"In the event I invaded you, Ozpin, attacking and subduing a tournament between _children_ would not be my first move."

"I said _look_ like an invasion, James. Spare me the hypothetical details."

"I am offering my men in good faith, Ozpin. In good faith as security to help an ally and a friend."

"We already have security in place. Why, I spoke to this wonderful gentleman yesterday. Very enterprising fellow. I think his name was Rowan Candlestick. He came highly recommended. Can't say much for his eyeliner or his smoking habit, but he had a lot of security officers at hand."

Jaune choked.

Ironwood looked like he'd swallowed tar – which wasn't far off what he actually was drinking.

"Please tell me you're joking…"

" _Of_ _course_ I'm joking." Ozpin rolled his eyes and set his mug down. "I have at least a hundred huntsmen prepared to look over the festival and be on hand should things go poorly. Yes, Qrow is among them, but no, he isn't commanding them. Do I _look_ like an idiot?"

Ironwood didn't answer.

"That was your cue to say no, old friend."

"Out of respect for our friendship, I chose to remain silent. Huntsmen are all well and good, Ozpin, but the threat here isn't from a couple of Grimm breaking through. Huntsmen should be busy outside the walls, not within. What you need is a force dedicated to facing insurgents, terrorists and human opponents."

"A force dedicated to subduing faunus, you mean." Ozpin let one eyebrow raise. "Atlas certainly seems adept at that."

"Must you bring up the past? We have made mistakes, I admit, but we're not talking about policies against faunus _or_ humans. We're talking about a criminal element known for causing trouble, which _has_ caused trouble in Vale already, and who will almost certainly be looking to do so again."

"And we're talking about it in a public diner…" Glynda bemoaned. "Where anyone could be listening in."

"I doubt the White Fang would come _here_ of all places, Glynda," Ozpin said.

Several tables over, Adam nibbled on some chocolate cake and rolled his eyes towards Mercury Black, who was busy dunking his into the frothiest cappuccino to have ever graced Jaune's and lived to tell the tale.

"Besides, it's not as though we're discussing anything of any real importance. The world knows I will have huntsmen defend the festival. That is not set to change anytime soon."

"You are being unusually aggravating today," Ironwood growled.

"Funny. I was thinking the same of you."

"Very well." Ironwood straightened, finished his drink and slammed the cup down. For once, the desk didn't crack, nor did the mug. "I can see that my words aren't making it through to you. I hope for the both of that your security holds true. You've made a habit of mentioning how often you've made mistakes. Let us hope you're not bullheadedly walking into another."

"James!" Glynda growled, slapping her hand down on the table. "You can't-"

The woodwork, already weakened by the repeated barrage from General Ironwood, cracked under Glynda's palm, even if it was a relatively weak blow. It was testament to its construction that it had held up so long, but Glynda's hand was the straw that broke the camel's back. The table collapsed, spilling wood, cutlery and mugs – not _very much shattered_ – across the floor.

Glynda sat frozen, hand extended. Ozpin, having picked up his mug, sipped at it.

"Glynda!" Ironwood rebuked. "Control yourself."

Winter tutted.

Ozpin shook his head. "For shame, Glynda. For shame…"

Red-faced and with her eyes closed, Glynda took a deep breath, ignoring the whispers of all those watching. She drew her hand back, reaching into her skirt and drew out a small wallet. From it, she procured a single card that she held out between two fingers.

Jaune took it without a word.

"For the record," Glynda said, seething. "I hate each and every one of you."

Even after they'd left and even after Jaune cleared up the mess and stood a `wet floor` sign atop the broken table, Jaune didn't calm down. He didn't have a `Foreign General broke my furniture` sign, and experience had shown him that even though it may have _looked_ obvious, _someone, somehow_ , would find a way to trip over it and break their neck.

That they hadn't come for him should have been a relief, a sign that Ruby had been as good as her word. But in truth, it only left him feeling even more nervous.

 _Why do I feel so guilty?_ _I'm nothing but a shop owner. A barista. It's not like I can stop an invasion on my own, and I did the responsible thing. I told someone who can do something and who can make a difference._

There was no reason to feel bad about that. Bad things happened so long as good people did nothing, but he hadn't done nothing. Even if Ruby couldn't act, she'd find a way to let Ozpin know that wouldn't incriminate him. That was as good as going to the police himself. Better, even. The police wouldn't be able to stop genuinely dangerous enemies, while Ozpin would.

He'd done his duty.

Ruby would tell Ozpin. Ozpin would stop Cinder's plan. All of Vale would be saved because, he, a simple barista, acted.

If anything, he should have felt proud about that.

 _Maybe it's just the uncertainty. Ozpin might have known right then and there and all of that might have been a show specifically designed to make it seem like they don't. Or they could be working on plans right now._

The thought helped a little. There was no reason for them to tell him, after all. Less than no reason; it would be a genuinely _bad idea_ to tell someone who the bad guys knew of by name and face. They could find it out from him or trick him in some way.

There was literally no reason to get involved further.

Ten minutes later, Jaune Arc cursed.

"Velvet, can you look after the place for a bit?"

"Uh?" Velvet looked over, swamped with trays and very much on her own. "Yes? Russel's shift starts in an hour, right?" She relaxed when he nodded. "Then yes, of course. Everyone will just have to give me a little slack." She said the last bit loud enough for all the diner to hear, and being the adorable and sweet faunus maid, everyone impatiently waiting for their order melted, unable to bring themselves to pick on the poor girl or hurt her feelings in any way.

Coco called it the `Velvet effect`.

Russel called it bullshit.

Jaune would have said it didn't exist, but then again… this was exactly how he'd ended up hiring her in the first place.

"Thanks. I'll be back later."

/-/

The Club was open and yet not open. The doors were unlocked and there were people coming and going, but only those in the uniform of the Red Axe Gang, and the windows were blacked out. It may have seemed odd that such a thing so brazenly criminal could happen on one of the more well-respected streets in Vale, but the truth of the fact was that Junior ran a clean business. Or a clean enough of one.

He paid his taxes, kept his name out there, made sure he wasn't linked to anything bad and dealt mostly in information. Sure, he rented goons out to Torchwick at the drop of a hat, but that was business, and what Torchwick did with said goons wasn't his.

Junior liked it that way. It kept things safe. Kept him from ever being so big a threat that he needed to be dealt with, or too little of one that he became expendable. No matter what side of the law you were on, knowledge was _always_ power.

Midday, however, could fuck off and die.

Most would have said mornings were worse, but Junior didn't wake up until the crack of noon, the benefits of working in a nightclub most nights. Even when he didn't drink much himself, waking up was an arduous affair. The smell of booze and smoke often left him feeling like he _was_ drunk, and that was to say nothing for the inevitable vomit left in the bathrooms each night.

So, as they often did, Junior, Miltia and Melanie were slumped at his bar poking glasses of water with their fingers and wishing they could be anywhere else. Or rather the two girls were slumped, and he was leaning on it with one elbow, polishing a glass not because it needed it, but because the action gave his hands something to focus on.

"Can we just… not run a nightclub?" Melanie groaned. "Have we thrown that idea out there?"

Miltia grumbled into the counter.

"Many times," Junior said, not envying those two their hangovers. Unlike him, they _had_ been drinking. They'd also been dancing, fighting and throwing out some twat who tried to get frisky with Miltia. "You know why that wouldn't work. Place like this has to look legitimate. Nightclubs are good for that."

"Because you can charge ridiculous prices for drinks and make it look like all your money comes through it," Melanie parroted. "I know, Junior." She sighed. "I know. Was just wishful thinking. I need medicine."

"Drugs and alcohol don't mix."

"I drank yesterday."

"Girl, your blood is probably more alcohol than blood at this point." He pushed the glass of water closer to her, ignoring the `blech` sound she made. "Drink. It's good for you."

"Hair of the dog?" Melanie begged.

"No. Water."

"Ugh."

The doors at the front opening caught Junior's eye, though not the twins'. His brows drew down. The boys shouldn't be letting anyone in at this time of day. He had half a mind to go up there and sort them out, but relaxed when he saw who it was. The door was closed once more and Junior leaned back, grinning and enjoying the show.

Miltia grunted when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She rolled the limb to knock the hand off and sighed into the counter.

The person tapped again.

"Grr." Miltia's eyes flashed and she spun around on the stool. "Take a hint and fu-"

The look on her face was worth holding back. Miltia's eyes widened to comical proportions as she came face to face with a resplendent bouquet of black and red roses. The petals glistened with little drops of water and the flowers – a large bouquet by any means – were wrapped in a white cloth, clutching at the base by a nervously smiling Jaune Arc.

"Heh. Surprise?"

If it wasn't for him pushing them towards Miltia, Junior didn't think she would have reacted. She embraced them automatically, drawing them closer against her chest and breathing in the fragrant scent. Her cheeks had turned a pretty pink, but there was still no outward reaction from her.

Junior felt certain in saying no one had ever bought the girl flowers. Not Miltia Malachite. Buy her drinks, a dress if you were feeling eager or some chocolate if you were cheap, but flowers and Miltia were two things that didn't seem to go together.

Though, he had to say, the black and red was a nice touch. It matched Miltia's dress perfectly and made it clear – if there could be any doubt – that they had been chosen with her in mind. Miltia clearly realised that in her hungover stupor, for she drew them closer, enough so that her chin and the bottom half of her face was hidden shyly among the blooms.

 _Huh. Miltia can do shy. I never realised…_

Jaune didn't look bothered by her lack of a response. Or if he was, he hid it well. "I've brought other gifts as well," he said, indicating the little cart he'd dragged in behind him. It was stacked with boxes and paper packages with the distinctive steaming cup logo Junior's recycling bins were now full to the brim of.

"Yeeeeessss…" Melanie groaned, doing more than a fair approximation of a zombie as she fell off the stool and staggered over to the cart. "Coffeeee…."

His boys, who were really supposed to keep working, all shuffled awkwardly over as well, shooting him nervous looks as they tried to make their position clear. With a roll of his eyes, Junior waved a hand and let them descend on the offering.

"Thanks, Jaune!"

"Thank you, Jaune!"

"You're a hero."

"Oh. Nice flowers."

"Heh. Look at Miltia."

"Cakes!"

"Oi! That's mine!"

Junior watched the melee that was about to start and then how Jaune expertly stepped between the warring factions and brokered peace over little paper cups and packets of sliced cake. _Should I be worried that my boys are so easily bribed by coffee and cake?_ Junior thought on the issue for a moment, at least until Junior placed an extra-large and extra-marshmallow chocolate-sprinkle cappuccino in front of him. _On second thoughts, bribery never felt so good._

"Thanks, kid," Junior grunted, trying to retain at least some self-respect. "You're a lifesaver."

"I figured you'd send someone down for some anyway and I was already planning to come down and surprise Miltia." Jaune smiled at his new girlfriend again, this time a little shyly. Had Miltia been in the right mind, Junior thought she might have jumped him then and there for that.

Instead, she blinked back at him, looked down to the bouquet of roses in hand and then drew them a little closer to her chest, enough so that the petals tickled her chin and neck.

"I think she likes them," he said, saving the kid any uncertainty. "You'll have to forgive her. It was a long night and they had to take out some trash."

"Do you always have such rough customers?"

"Average of four hundred different people in a night, kid. Even if ninety-nine per cent are great, odds are there'll always be someone either out to make trouble or who can't handle their alcohol." Junior shrugged. "You learn not to take it personally. Most are just out looking for a good time."

"Oh hey," Melanie said. "Jaune's here."

Junior rolled his eyes.

"Ooh, flowers!"

"Long night," he repeated. "And an early morning."

"Junior, it's twelve-thirty."

"Like I said, early morning." He huffed and poured Jaune a glass of soda. Not the same quality as his own drink, but then he figured the kid was as sick as drinking coffee as Junior was cocktails. When you made them all day, the smell alone could put you off.

"Thanks." Jaune sat on a stool next to Miltia. "I needed this."

"Sounds like you've had a rough few nights yourself. Want to talk about it?"

"You're a therapist now?"

Junior shrugged. "Might as well be. You think running a gang is all shady deals, breaking kneecaps and serving hard drinks? I have over a hundred `boys` to look after, not to mention these two. You wouldn't believe how often one of the ever-dangerous Red Axe Gang come to me crying about how their girlfriend left them and they don't know what to do. HR, kid," he groaned. "HR and taxes. They never change."

"Right. I guess I never thought of it that way. Does Roman have to deal with HR, too?"

"He has to deal with Neo. She's a `human resource problem` all to herself. Anyway, you didn't come here to talk business I'm sure, and Miltia isn't going to snap out of this for a while. What's your issue? I've got nothing better to do than listen."

And hell, he wasn't about to let his main source of caffeine fall into the doldrums and take time off work. Miltia wouldn't be the only one on his ass if that happened. His men would revolt!

"It's something I learned about a few days back. Something…" Jaune looked like he wasn't sure how to say it, before he laughed suddenly. "Kind of stupid to beat around the bush here of all places. Something illegal," he said. "Criminal activity. One of my regulars, who I kind of liked and trusted, turned out to be a criminal."

"So?" Junior wasn't emotional enough to be offended. "So are we. Not to mention Roman and Neo, and you've got no problem with them."

"You're not _bad_ criminals, though."

"The people we've scammed and robbed would say different."

Jaune winced. "I'm talking death and destruction criminals."

"Oh." Junior shifted his weight and drew a seat out from under the bar, sitting down to face Jaune across it. His lips drew into a frown. "That kind," he grunted. This was more serious. "How bad we talking here? Minor death and destruction? A hit…?"

"Terrorists."

Shit. Junior bit back a hiss but couldn't quite stop the disgust showing on his face. Terrorists. Those were bad for business. Very bad. Most crooks were reasonable at the end of the day; total scum, but understandable. They did what they did because of necessity, greed or some twisted sense of satisfaction. Either way, they measured the risks and acted accordingly.

If you took a hostage and the police came for you, you had to measure those same risks. Let the hostage go and you'd be charged for endangering them and whatever your crimes were before, which could all be lessened with a little contrition.

Pull the trigger?

You weren't getting out of that. Shit like that was final.

Junior had never crossed the line. He'd crossed lines, sure, but only with others who crossed the same ones. Keep the murder among the gangs, among the criminals, and the people didn't bat an eye. It was when you actively hurt people who didn't deserve it that you became a problem. A problem for everyone.

Terrorists – _fanatics_ – were just that.

"Talk to me," Junior said. "What are we dealing with here? White Fang?"

Jaune nodded.

"Faunus supremacists. Trash born from the dying corpse of a good cause. They usually cause problems in Mistral and Atlas, but they've been relatively quiet in Vale. Judging from the look on your face, that's about to change."

"I shouldn't be telling anyone about this…"

"Information brokers offer some pretty strict confidentiality," Junior pointed out. "I'm not the Government here. I know how to keep my sources safe."

Jaune nodded, and with a last longing look for the door, spilled his guts.

It wasn't a pleasant tale by any means. Junior grimaced at Roman's involvement, then let out a sigh at hearing it wasn't on willing terms. Somewhere in the telling, Melanie and Miltia both snapped back to life and listened intently, even if Miltia kept hanging onto the flowers like they were a life raft and she was trapped in the middle of the ocean.

Jaune finished by telling them how he'd passed the information onto a huntress – he didn't mention who, but Junior could guess – but that he otherwise didn't know what to do and couldn't convince himself it was none of his business.

Junior leaned back when the story was over, musing over everything he'd learned.

"This sounds bad, Junior," Melanie said, somewhat needlessly. "This sounds like chaos on the streets. Total anarchy. That's not good for business."

"None of this is," Miltia hissed. "And they dragged Jaune into the middle of it. I say we talk to Roman, set up an ambush and kill this bitch while we have the element of surprise."

"No. Too risky." Junior shot the idea down before it could gain traction. "We've no idea of what she can do, who backs her and how many allies she has. We're a gang. We're not equipped to deal with a terrorist army, and while you two might be tough, you couldn't even beat a Beacon trainee. You're not going to have much luck against someone confident enough to take on the entirety of Beacon."

"Maybe she's over-confident."

"Then she dies like a chump and we don't have to deal with it. I don't know about you two, but I'm not willing to bet my life on that. This Cinder," he said to Jaune. "How dangerous would you say she is?"

"Enough that Roman thought crossing her was a suicidal idea."

"Hm. Roman's got a good head for these kinds of things." And part of Junior wondered if Roman hadn't told Jaune for this express purpose; doing much the same as Jaune had in subtly passing the information in Ozpin's direction, but with Roman subtly passing it on to Jaune, knowing the kid's sense of honour would force him to act.

It sounded like the kind of thing Roman might do. A silent cry for help.

"Shit like this is bad for business and Vale is our home. I'm not willing to give it up to some megalomaniac villain out of a bad Spruce Willis movie. Melanie. Miltia. Thoughts?"

"Same," the girls said in unison.

"And she's fucking with my boyfriend," Miltia added, growling into her flowers.

Junior nodded and then turned to Jaune. "Thanks for telling us this, Jaune. I mean that. It might not be happy news, but I'd rather me and the gang know this than not. Gives us a chance to prepare."

"You don't have any ideas on how to stop it?" Jaune asked, anguished.

"Be lying if I said I did, but that doesn't mean I'm ignoring it." Junior grinned and downed the rest of his drink, chewing the last marshmallows. It took him a second to realise he'd ruined his cool persona, especially when he had to make them wait for a good twenty seconds while he worked his way through the gooey treats. "Sorry," he mumbled, wiping his chin. "Anyway, I've no ideas _right now_ , but you can bet your suppliers I'll be working to find one. Chaos in the streets brings one thing. Grimm."

"And taxes," Miltia added. "Council will raise them for repairs."

"HR problems, too," Melanie said. "So many of the boys will be torn between families and us."

"Yeah." Junior grimaced. "So, as you can see, it's serious business on our end. I'm not saying we can act against her; I think Roman has made it clear that's off the table. But I'm an information dealer at the end of the day. My biggest strength isn't in facing people head on."

"I'll say," Melanie mumbled. "He gives us shit for losing to that broad, but he was no better. And he had to call her _sir_."

Junior huffed, adjusted his tie and ignored their comments. "The Red Axe Gang is on this, Jaune. Don't you worry. You pay your protection money and we're contractually obligated to look after you. That includes up to and from terrorists, Grimm and all the other things that go bump in the night."

Jaune blinked. "I don't _pay_ you anything."

Junior pointed to all his men drinking away.

"You accept coffee as tender?"

"Hey. It's a lot easier to launder than cash."

"I guess so." Jaune sighed. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that last part."

"Appreciate it."

"Thanks for agreeing to help on this, Junior. And thanks for listening, I guess. It really did help to get it off my chest."

Junior shrugged in a `that's what I'm here for` kind of way. It wasn't, but hey, what could you do? Watching Jaune step off the stool and make to leave, Junior coughed into his fist, and then coughed again when no one reacted.

Stupid teens.

"Miltia," he grunted. "Don't you have anything to say for your boyfriend?"

"Huh?" Miltia looked his way.

"After he brought you flowers?"

"Oh!" Her eyes widened and she blurted out the first thing on her mind. "Is this when we have sex?"

Jaune froze.

Melanie choked.

Junior sighed.

"No, wait!" Miltia cried, suddenly bright red and stammering like she never had before. "That's not what I meant, I-"

Jaune burst out laughing.

"Not what I meant," Miltia groaned, burying her face in the roses. "Fuck my life…"

"It's okay." Jaune stepped up with a happy smile. "I think I know what you mean, but I didn't buy you flowers for that even if we talked about it before. I just wanted to come around and see you. The flowers… I saw them being sold next to each other in a florist and they reminded me of you. Black and red. Passion and mystery with a little danger thrown in." Jaune looked a little embarrassed. "That sounded better in my head. Way cooler."

"Oh, I don't know," Melanie said, grinning. "I think it had an effect."

Miltia had closed the distance soon after the statement and taken Jaune's collar in hand, dragging him in. The sounds they made had Junior rolling his eyes and looking away. Teenagers. They couldn't even make out without making a scene of it.

"How's that for a thank you?" Miltia drew back.

"Yeah." Jaune's smile was dopey, as if he'd just gotten high on Class-A drugs. "That… Wow. I should bring you flowers more often."

"You don't need to bribe me for another go at that."

"Then I'll bring you flowers anyway. You deserve it."

"Charmer." Miltia leaned in again and kissed him, albeit a softer, more respectable show. "Get going, you," she said, pushing him away. "Unless you want to take it further, in which case just let me know. But you still owe me a date and dinner. If I'm worth spoiling like this, you're going to prove it."

"I will." Jaune backed up, grinning wildly. "I'll prove I'm worthy of you."

"Idiot," Miltia mumbled. "It's the other way around."

With a final kiss, she sent him on his way, watching and waving as he left, closing the door behind him. With a heavy sigh, Miltia turned back around on the stool and looked down at her roses. She took a quick sniff, sighed happily and reached for her coffee.

"Some day I'm going to snap and pin him down. I'll make him _scream_ my name."

"Yeah?" Melanie was unimpressed and wore a smug smile. "Maybe when you stop blushing like an innocent little schoolgirl."

Rather than argue, Miltia buried her red cheeks in the roses. "Shut up and fetch me a vase…"

Junior brought out a mixing jug from under the counter and filled it with water. He watched as Miltia reverently placed the roses into it and then started to poke them around, trying to make the best display she could. All the while, Melanie teased and prodded her sister. Junior rolled his eyes.

Kids…

/-/

"I didn't expect you to return."

"I didn't expect you to be here."

"Hm." Adam sipped his drink. "You're troubled."

"You psychic now as well?" Mercury asked. "No. Don't tell me. More of your `I've seen this before`." The silver-haired teen sighed and looked around nervously. "I'd rather you not say it, alright? I'm not in the best of spots right now. Nothing you need to worry about. It won't affect your plans."

"Only your life?"

Mercury flinched.

"I thought so."

"What do you care, Adam? I'm not a faunus. I'm not one you need to worry about."

"I've spent a life living under a controlling and cruel individual who saw me as nothing more than a tool to be used and then thrown away. I have the scars to prove it. Did you expect that I would not recognise such in another? Or that I would so happily work with one?"

"Cinder doesn't beat me."

"No. She maintains your loyalty in a far more ruthless fashion."

"Are you any different with your people?"

"I am." Adam said it with such seriousness that Mercury wasn't sure how to doubt it. "There are many who have come to disagree with our actions. Not all are seen as traitors and not all leave. Working with us is not a lifetime commitment. A mask can be put aside, should you wish it."

"How does that factor in for your little runaway?"

"That," Adam said, "Is different. There is choosing to speak to me and making arrangements to leave. Then there is abandoning me in the middle of a mission and potentially leaving me to be caught and killed by SDC forces. I will not claim my decisions are always perfect. They… have been flawed in the past. But in all honesty, I ignored her after she left. I did not seek her out."

"What changed?"

"She attacked our people here in Vale. Showed that she would use her knowledge to harm us. As much as I might wish otherwise, I cannot ignore that." Adam sipped his drink and let out a quiet sigh. "Personal feelings have to be set aside for the betterment of the group. It is neither kind nor just, but neither is letting more of my people be captured or killed because of personal sentiment."

"Makes sense. Never realised it was so tough."

"It has its ups and downs."

"You know, you're a lot more down to Remnant than I thought you'd be. I kinda expected you to be a little more… uh…"

"Savage fanatic? Little more than an animal?"

"I wasn't gonna say it…"

Adam shrugged, and Mercury was yet again surprised by not only the civility of the conversation, but that he was, in some strange way, enjoying it. Maybe not having fun but finding some comfort in the candid meeting between not-quite-associates.

"At least you would have said it based on my actions and not my species. Our group contains a lot of said people and they are valuable at times, but positions of leadership cannot be left to those unable to think with a clear mind. It would lead to disaster."

"You're the exception, then?"

"No. I am the rule. You simply hear more of the fanatics because it is in the best interests of the Kingdoms to use those particularly violent and vicious examples of us to paint our entire organisation the same way. It keeps us looking the cartoonish evil, and also stymies our recruitment efforts. Or it would," he added, "If those same Kingdoms could stop mistreating faunus for all of six months. Alas, even so short a time frame seems impossible."

"People are shit," Mercury said.

"You won't hear me disagree."

"We're shit, too."

"Again. Nothing I do not already know."

"So… about Cinder…"

Adam inclined his head. "I cannot step in to aid you, but neither shall I make any effort to inform her of your… issues. We've lived under the control of taskmasters for years. I'm not about to raise the alarm if another person in the same situation wants to break their chains." He paused, cupping his mug with both hands. "If I could help you, I would…"

"But you need her help and the White- the organisation," Mercury amended, "Comes first."

"Yes. I apologise."

"Nah. Don't. You've done more than most have. Honestly, I appreciate having someone to talk to who _isn't_ either reading into my every word or trying to put me down to make herself look better to the woman she has an obsession over."

"I noticed that," Adam said, chuckling. "I have a subordinate who displays a similar to obsession to the woman she loved. The same woman who happened to be my girlfriend at the time."

"What, seriously? How awkward was that!?"

"Somewhat. Ilia never acted on it – neither against me or in telling Blake – but it was painfully obvious."

Curious, Mercury leaned forward. "What did you do?"

"Ignored it for the most part. Not my business to step in and she never tried to cause us any problems. Ultimately, it was between her and Blake." Adam shook his head. "I don't think they ever sorted it out."

"Rough."

"Such is life."

Grinning, Mercury asked, "And you never thought of the potential for a threesome?"

To his surprise, Adam chuckled. "Not once. I was a young man in love. While a moment like that might appeal to many, I only had eyes for Blake. I was a different man back then. Passionate, angry. Immature."

"And now?"

"An older man. Still angry, still passionate, but hopefully more mature. In the end, I haven't changed much, as much as I might wish it. You, however, still have the opportunity. Situations can change, Mercury. Yours among them."

"I don't think it'll be that easy."

"Change never is. I failed. You should make your own decisions."

"Even if it gets me killed?"

Adam shrugged. "At least you would go out on your terms. On your own decisions. Not hers. Your life is yours to live. Not hers, not Emerald's, and not anyone else's."

Not his father's.

His life.

Mercury looked down at the table, thinking of his legs beneath. His bastard of a father had stolen those, but _he_ was the one who walked out alive. Not Marcus Black. The old bastard had died a sad and pathetic death.

And then Cinder had snapped him up like a stray dog…

Now, he was set to fight and die for a cause he didn't know and didn't care for. He laughed. In the end, there really was no difference between him and a faunus slaving away for the SDC. They both got the same shit deal.

"Thanks for the chat," Mercury said, standing. "You here tomorrow?"

"Two days hence. Saturday. Noon." Adam didn't invite him to come, but the offer was left in the air, nonetheless. Mercury nodded, taking it for what it was.

He left the lonely faunus behind, waved to the cute waitress and stepped out into the warm afternoon air. Cinder would expect him back, but to hell with that. He fancied getting a meal and then maybe catching a movie. If Cinder asked, he'd just say he was busy.

A group of girls from Beacon arrived at the time he left, three quarters of them passing him by without word or glance, but the last – Ruby Rose, or Red as Roman called her – froze with a deer in the headlights look. She caught herself a second later, stumbling and trying to act like it wasn't him she'd reacted to.

Mercury grinned, then shot a wink her way.

"Secret's safe with me, Red."

He ignored the girl's shocked look as the strolled away, though he felt her eyes follow him. It was a small choice in the grand scheme of things, a pretty pathetic one when you thought about it, but it was _his_ choice not to tell Cinder on the girl, and he had few enough choices that he was going to treasure it, whatever it led to.

The girl only continued to live because he had chosen to let her. In a weird way…

It felt good.

* * *

 **Adam's you read in this story may not be representative of the Adams you see in the show, lol. This was planned before Adam went** _ **full psycho**_ **on us. Anyway, I kind of liked the idea of an odd not-quite-paternal-but-close relationship between Adam and Mercury.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 26** **th** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	40. Chapter 40

**Here we go – a chapter which contains neither service nor smiles.**

 **False advertising ho!**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 40**

* * *

"Events like these are wonderful. Don't you think so, Ozpin?" Glynda looked out over the brightly coloured students milling in the dance floor below. She would not say they were dancing, for what teenager could? They bumped into one another awkwardly, span in circles and otherwise did their best in a clumsy, endearing, manner. Glynda waited for a response from her colleague and employer and looked his way when there was nothing. "Ozpin?"

The headmaster looked beleaguered, one hand on the table beside him and the other holding a scroll to his ear. "What do you mean you don't deliver? I need ten cups right now or I'm going to faint."

Ozpin was silent as he listened to the response.

"Yes, I _know_ there's a Grimm-infested forest between Beacon and Vale. Where else am I supposed to throw my students? It shouldn't matter. You have aura, don't you? Just push on through."

More chatter.

"I think the Grimm would have to be _very evil_ indeed to get between a man and his caffeine."

Glynda growled and stalked across the floor, snatching the scroll and holding it to her ear. "Is this Jaune?"

" _Oh."_ The young voice was familiar. _"Hello Miss Goodwitch."_

"You can call me Glynda, Jaune. I'm not _your_ teacher. Also, please ignore Ozpin's last order."

Jaune chuckled nervously. _"I kind of already did…"_

"Good. You have a nice night, Jaune, and thank you for letting Mr Thrust and Miss Scarlatina have the day off for this."

" _No problem. I, uh, don't suppose they're going together, are they?"_

"They're teenagers, Jaune. You can't expect them to recognise their feelings, let alone address them in a conductive manner. Both have come alone."

" _Ugh. What was I even thinking? Alright, thanks for letting me know."_

Hanging up, Glynda stole Ozpin's phone and dropped it into her handbag, daring Ozpin to try and take it from her. It might have been however many thousand years since the man had been married, but he seemed capable of recognising the look on her face and deciding it was better to give it up.

"Really, Ozpin, trying to get him to come here just to deliver coffee. We have a cafeteria downstairs."

"Yes, and they all have the night off. Not to mention you've stipulated that we need to watch the students at all times – which, I feel I ought to remind you, is a decision I should make as your boss – and for some unholy reason, the only beverage being served at this event is wine and punch!"

"Non-alcoholic wine and punch."

"Yes, meaning I cannot even get so buzzed that I forget my cravings."

"Ozpin, you can't be addicted to coffee. It's not like tobacco."

"Try drinking it for six thousand years and see how that goes. You'll be amazed what you can become addicted to."

That was a fair point, she supposed. The human mind was only made to handle so much information, and Ozpin had _a lot_ of memories to sift through. Glynda would have liked to use that as an excuse for some of his peculiarities, but she had a feeling those were just Ozpin being Ozpin.

Sighing, Glynda reached into her bag and drew out a small, silver thermos.

Ozpin made a choking sound.

"I will give you this," she said, holding it away from him in case he lunged. "If you promise to keep an eye on the students on the dance floor for the next two hours, without causing any problems or leaving your post."

"Done."

Oddities aside, Ozpin was as good as his word, so Glynda tossed him the thermos. A part of her imagined his shock if he found it empty and realised he'd been duped, but it was only an amusing thought. Ozpin unscrewed the cap and poured himself a hot cup, which he drank with a contented sigh.

"Thank you, Glynda. Ah. Jaune's blend, I see."

Glynda shrugged. "I'm not a huge fan of coffee, but he's spoiled us, I suppose. Store bought or instant coffee tastes like mud now."

"Indeed. I maintain that we should have accepted him into Beacon."

"He didn't have the skills or credentials. He'd have been killed."

"I never said as a huntsman. I could make an opening in the cafeteria team easily." Ozpin smirked at her shock, then laughed softly. "Only joking, Glynda. I shall go and watch over the students. Do have fun dancing with James."

Blood rushed to her face. "I never said I'd be doing that! H-He hasn't even asked!"

Behind her, a man coughed. "Ahem."

Ozpin laughed as he departed.

Glynda's fist shook. "I hate that man sometimes…"

"I completely agree," James Ironwood said, looking just a little out of his depth, but undeniably handsome in his dress uniform. He extended a hand, not quite blushing but not quite meeting her eyes either. "May I ask for this dance, however?"

"You may."

/-/

"You know the drill."

Mercury and Emerald nodded, dressed in their finery and stood in a small circle, glasses in hand, looking for all the world to outsiders like they were smiling and chatting between themselves. If anyone came close, Emerald would ensnare them in her Semblance and keep them from hearing the truth.

"Not much of a drill on our parts," Mercury said. "You sure you don't want us on board?"

"Yes. One person can sneak out easier than three, and your presence is required to maintain the charade. Emerald, find a secluded corner to hide in. if anyone seeks to investigate, use your Semblance to convince them I am there with you."

"Understood, ma'am."

"What about me?" Mercury asked.

"Draw attention to yourself and be noticed. It will look suspicious if all three of us are shying away. Make sure you are seen, and that people remember you."

"Want me to go and dance?"

"By all means. Make sure it is someone other than Emerald, however. We need whatever alibi we can find."

"You got it."

"Once the job is done, I shall return and slip back into the crowd. Find and dance with me. I need to be visible for anyone who might be looking for those absent." Cinder waited for them both to nod in understanding, before slipping away and out of sight.

"Not exactly in a cheery mood, is she?"

"This is work, Mercury. Not a game."

"Eh. Life is but a game. You shouldn't take it so seriously." Waving one hand, he made his way towards the staircase leading down. "Enjoy your secluded corner, Em. I'm going to go mingle and have fun."

"No one would deign to actually dance with you."

Oh, he had a feeling one or two might. And he had someone in mind.

/-/

Team RWBY were huddled off to one side with Sun and Neptune in attendance, who had come as Weiss and Blake's dates, but whom had to stand around while the four girls handled conspiracy things. That didn't appear to bother Sun at all, who would have stood before a charging Goliath with a smile on his face if it meant he got a chance to come on a date with Blake.

Neptune didn't mind, either. Weiss spending time on some subterfuge thing meant she wasn't spending time trying to dance, and thus not spending time realising he couldn't dance.

The two male teammates exchanged high-fives.

Also, it felt good to know they were trusted enough with this kind of thing. Or considered unimportant enough that the girls didn't need to keep quiet around them, but Sun was more of a glass half-full kind of guy and went with the former.

"Don't act unusual," Weiss said. "Our goal isn't to stand out or be obvious. If whatever happens is going to happen tonight, we need to be able to see it taking place."

"Isn't it more unusual for us to be skulking in a corner like this?" Yang asked.

As far as Yang was concerned, it sucked that they had to work through an event like this, but Ruby had been genuinely worried about Jaune, her first friend outside the team, and Yang wasn't about to risk that. The whole point of the dance was to get Ruby being sociable, and hey, Jaune helped with that. Helped a lot. Ruby had made more friends over that diner than anywhere else, which meant it was to be protected with their lives.

 _At least I got out of having to man the entrance,_ Yang thought. It had been touch and go there, but since Velvet had her job to think of, Port had relented and taken another team on his mission, leaving Coco and Fox to handle the dance arrangements as had been the original plan.

"We need to act natural," Weiss said. "Blake and Sun should wait outside and act like they're talking, letting them watch for anyone who leaves. Neptune and I will dance on the floor-"

Neptune panicked.

Sun came to his rescue. "Actually, I was hoping me and Blake could dance. I, uh, I have a reputation for it, so people from Mistral would realise something was up if I didn't."

It was a lie of course, but not one Weiss knew for sure. Neptune was quick to agree. "He does. And I figured you and I could talk a little, Snow Angel."

"A-Ah, well, I suppose that would not be a bad idea."

"Great!" Yang clapped her hands. "So, Weiss and Neptune outside looking for those who leave. Blake and Sun on the dancefloor. I'll hang on the first-floor balcony and get a bird's eye view. Ruby, you okay to hang by the back exit and look for anyone trying to slip out? Just shuffle around awkwardly like you're trying to sneak out or something."

"Awkward and trying to escape!?" Ruby's eyes blazed. "Yang. I was _made_ for that role!"

Yang rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I figured you'd be good at that…"

Team RWBY plus SN moved out, most of them breaking off in pairs but Ruby and Yang going their own way.

Ruby slipped past the buffet table towards the exits which led back into the school itself. It wasn't the main doors, which Yang would have a good view of, rather a side exit that wasn't technically supposed to be open but totally was. Beacon was a school after all. Finding a pillar to lean against, Ruby sipped at her drink and generally acted like she wanted to avoid all the dancing and craziness going on.

It was an easy act to fall into.

She hadn't expected anyone to ask her to the dance and hadn't been upset when no one had. Being fifteen gave her an excuse there, even if Yang made a big deal of it. _Not like she came with anyone, either, for all her complaining about me not finding a date._

Though, to be fair, that hadn't been for a lack of people asking Yang. More like her sister's high standards and paradoxical interest in the Achieve Men, but lack of interest in men in general. Ruby had either been too young, too shy or too outshined by Yang to get a single request for the dance.

Honestly, it didn't really bother her. She'd only have freaked out and turned into an embarrassed mess if someone had asked her. Maybe if Jaune had made it into Beacon, the two of them could have gone as friends. That would have been cool.

Ruby spotted Pyrrha in the distance, dancing with Russel of all people. No romance there, obviously. They must have come as partners. _Come to think of it, if Jaune was here, he'd probably be going with Pyrrha. Ugh. I really need more guy friends._

A hand landed on the pillar above her head, attached to a silver-haired boy with dark eyes. "Hey there, Red."

Ruby spurted and spluttered her drink across his shirt.

"Huh. Okay, I'll admit, I've never had _that_ reaction before. Not sure if it's good or bad."

"W-What are you doing here!?" Ruby hissed. This was the guy who had almost caught her in Jaune's apartment, and worse, the guy who had then hinted that he knew _exactly_ what she'd been up to.

" _Secret's safe with me, Red._ "

The only person who called her Red was Torchwick. And the only `secret` this guy could know was that she'd been there listening in to him and his employer. Ruby edged away and prepared to bolt, only for him to catch her elbow before she could.

"I'll scream!"

"Now _that's_ a reaction I've managed to earn once or twice." He winked.

"What are-?" Ruby's mind filled in the blanks and she went red. "W-What? But I didn't- I didn't mean _that_ kind of scream." Growling, Ruby pulled her arm away and looked around, trying to see if the rest of his team was waiting in ambush. They weren't. "What are you doing here?" she whispered. "Are you trying to intimidate me? Trying to blackmail me?"

"Yep. The blackmail, I mean."

Ruby's mouth fell open. He was just going to come out and admit it?

Well, it wasn't like she could do anything. If he told his boss about her, then it wouldn't just be her life in danger. Jaune would get in trouble and maybe even be killed. "What do you want?" she asked, looking away angrily. "Information? I don't know anything. And I'm not going to take part in your plan or betray my friends."

"Nothing like that, Red."

"Then what?"

"I want a dance."

Ruby froze.

"Whut…?"

"A dance," he said.

"Uh. You want me to set you up with Yang?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Do people actually ask you for that?"

"Sometimes, yeah."

"That's pretty messed up."

"I know." Ruby shrugged. "Yang tells me to accept and lead them to her, so she can punch them in the balls for trying to use me."

"Heh. Nice."

"Yeah, it's-" Ruby shook her head. "No. No. You're not distracting me."

"I kinda am."

"Not anymore!" she amended, stomping one foot and nearly tripping over her heels. He caught her with one arm. "Don't touch me."

"And let you fall?"

"Yes. I have aura and the floor is my friend. I happen to like these tiles. We have an understanding."

The dangerous criminal rolled his eyes. "Sure. Look, all I'm asking for is a dance, Red. No shenanigans and no tricks. Besides, wouldn't it be a good idea to keep me where you can see me? Make sure I'm not up to anything dastardly. See if you can't do a little information gathering and pick my brain?"

"I'd like to pick your brain with something," Ruby muttered.

To her mortification, he burst out laughing.

"You've got spirit. I like that." He grinned roguishly at her and held out a hand. "So? Dance?"

Ruby glowered back. "I have heels and I don't know how to use them…"

"Yeah? Somehow, I think I'll be immune to the damage they might do. Call it an occupational hazard."

Grumbling, Ruby placed her hand in his.

/-/

Weiss groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. Communication was key in a military operation, and while they weren't military by any means, Weiss had learned enough from Winter to organise a lookout like this. Headsets weren't easy to get a hold of, but scrolls worked well enough. The problem, Weiss realised, was in trusting her teammates to hold any level of decorum.

" _Blonde Bombshell to all. Rubaby has taken to the dancefloor. I repeat, Rubaby has taken to the dancefloor."_

" _Roger that, Blonde Bombshell. This is Golden Abs. Can you confirm Rubaby has not been abducted and replaced with imposter?"_

" _Affirmative, Sexy Abs. Rubaby has stabbed dance partner three times with heels. No one else can match that level of dance failure."_

" _Blake here-"_

" _Black Lotus,"_ Yang corrected.

" _Blake here,"_ Blake repeated, refusing to use the name, _"And I can confirm that Sun can and will dance just as poorly. My feet hurt."_

" _Hey. I'm trying…"_

Weiss groaned into her hand.

Idiots. All of them.

"Yang-"

" _Blonde Bombshell."_

"I am not calling you that," Weiss hissed. "Get in there and get Ruby out. Poor dancing aside, she's supposed to be watching the back exit."

" _Negative, Snow White-"_

"What did you just call me?"

" _I have visual on both exists. Leaving Rubaby to dance."_

"Yang, you cannot just ignore what we're doing because you find Ruby dancing cute."

" _Negative, Ice Queen. Can and am."_

" _Golden Abs requesting visual proof of Rubaby dancing."_

A camera snap sound echoed through the call. _"Good call, Sexy Abs. Evidence acquired. Blonde Bombshell shall continue to provide overwatch and monitor situation. Requesting status update on Blizzard Babe and Goggle-Boy's status."_

Why did her name keep changing?

"Neptune and I are both fine," she said. "There are a few couples out here trying to find a spot alone, but no one acting unusual."

"Unless you call making out in the bushes unusual."

" _Come again, Goggle-boy? You and Snowcone are making out in the bushes, confirm?"_

"No!" Weiss hissed.

" _Golden Abs believes he heard that also,"_ Sun teased.

" _Can confirm~"_ Blake added, obviously laughing.

"You're all idiots. Absolute idiots." And really, it felt like the two of them were the only ones _doing_ anything at all. "We are keeping watch on the path to the CCT and-"

"Weiss!" Neptune hissed.

"What is-?" Weiss followed his hand and her eyes widened. "Shape approaching CCT fast!" she hissed. "Breaking off to take a look."

" _Be careful, Weiss,"_ Yang said, suddenly all business. _"I'm on my way out."_

" _Same,"_ Blake said. _"Take care."_

" _What about Ruby?"_ Sun asked.

" _No time. Just leave her. The five of us will be enough."_

Weiss pushed the scroll away and made to run after the figure disappearing around the corner, only for Neptune to grab her hand before she could. He made a show of wrapping his arm around her waist and leaning down to whisper in her ear. "Look natural. They might have lookouts. Act like we're wandering off."

Of course! Potential watchers. Weiss nodded and hugged the taller boy back, not entirely feigning the heat creeping up her neck. She allowed Neptune to manoeuvre her off the main path and towards the trees nearby. A few students looked their way, but with their hands around one another, it was clear they were slipping off to exchange spit.

The moment they were in the treeline, they broke apart and dashed off.

"Don't attack straight away," Weiss said. "We can't assume the worst. We'll watch from a distance and make sure this isn't a false…" They broke from the trees on the other side, in front of the CCT building. "Alarm…" Weiss said miserably.

Neptune knelt and touched a hand to the neck of one of the unconscious – she really hoped it was that – guards laid out by the entrance.

"Alive," he said.

"Oh, thank goodness…"

"Yeah. And I think we can rule out the `false alarm` thing. We going in?"

The obvious answer was yes. If it were Ruby, she'd have dashed in already.

Weiss was not Ruby.

"No. Whoever is inside clearly believes they have the element of surprise and is taking the defenders down non-lethally. I don't want to startle them and change that. We'll wait for the others to catch up and then go in together."

"Safe option," Neptune said, approving her plan. "I doubt whatever they're doing in there is going to be quick. Not if they felt it necessary to take the guards down."

"Yes. If it were an easy or subtle task, they could do it during the day while the CCT is open." Weiss looked down at the guards, not quite liking the idea of them being found here like this. "Let's move them off the path, at least. They'll be in danger here."

"Right."

Luckily, the damage seemed to be specific and targeted, so there weren't any wounds either of them had to bandage up. Although Weiss had said they'd both move them, the Atlas armour they wore was so heavy that Neptune had to do most of the work. Not that he complained about it. Weiss collected their fallen weapons instead and laid them down by the guards. As an afterthought, she rolled them over into the recovery position.

Yang, Sun and Blake arrived at that moment. "Oh crap," Yang said. "Are they-?"

"Alive and well. Just unconscious."

"Sheesh! You scared the shit out of me there…"

"I guess Ruby's intel came through," Blake said, looking at the tower. "There's no way this wasn't a professional job. Say what you will about Atlas, but their troops are some of the most well-trained on Remnant. The White Fang struggled to deal with them."

"We gonna stand out here talking or go in?" Sun asked.

"Or," Weiss said, "We could inform the teachers. Most of us are unarmed."

"I can still fight," Yang said, flexing one fist.

"I know some unarmed combat," Blake added. "Sun? Neptune?"

"So-So," Neptune said.

"I'm not bad." Sun added.

"And I am useless," Weiss finished. Without her dust rapier, she couldn't even use her glyphs. "But I suppose I can try and contact the teachers while you go in. Just _be careful_. Whomever this is will be armed and dangerous."

"Got it, mom. We'll be alright."

With a laugh, Yang, Blake, Sun and Neptune entered, leaving Weiss to sigh and dig out her scroll.

/-/

"What are you planning?"

"To dance."

"What are your goals?"

"To dance."

Ruby growled and `accidentally` drove her heel down into his foot. The big lout showed no reaction whatsoever. He didn't even seem to notice.

"What are your feet made of, steel!?"

He grinned. "Yes."

"What?"

Sweeping her around, Mercury tapped the hell of his shoe against his shin, making a quiet but audible `pinging` sound of metal against metal. The implication wasn't lost on Ruby, whose face drained of colour.

"I am _so sorry_. Oh man, I can't believe I said that…"

"Eh. It's fine. Makes it easy to dance with girls who can't dance."

Ruby glared down at the floor as if it was its fault, feeling the weight of shame crashing down on her. _No wait, he's a crook. I shouldn't be feeling bad_ warred with _Oh God, I just called out a disabled person on being disabled._

"Seriously, Red, it's fine. You asked a question. I gave an answer."

"Hate you so much right now," Ruby whined.

"Ha. Love you too."

Ruby's face exploded in colour. No, no, no. He didn't mean that _literally_ , damn it.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, trying to hide her treacherous thoughts. "I know what you are. You know what I know. Right…?"

"That you heard us at Jaune's? Yeah, I know."

Swallowing, Ruby asked, "D-Do the others…?"

"No."

Her relief was palpable. She sagged against him, legs almost giving way under the pressure of it all. Thoughts of Jaune being killed left her mind. "Why?" she had to ask. "N-Not that I'm not grateful, but why keep it a secret?"

"Honestly, I don't know. Cuz I feel like it, I guess."

"Because you feel like it?" Ruby held onto his arms as he spun her around, one hand on the small of her back. He was a good dancer, annoyingly. "What kind of reason is that?"

"A pretty terrible one to be honest. If my boss finds out, she'll kill me. If you guys find out what's planned, you'll probably kill me too. Damned if I do and damned if I don't."

"Then why make so dangerous a choice?"

"Because it's _my choice_ to make."

Ruby blinked. What kind of reason was that?

An important one if the emphasis he put on it meant anything, but for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why. Still, if it meant he wasn't throwing her to the wolves, then it was a decision she could get behind.

"So, you're not going to tell your boss…?"

"Kind of committed now, even if I have second thoughts. Besides, I happen to like Jaune and don't want to see him dead."

"Yeah. Me too."

"Heh. Glad to see we agree on something."

He meant weird. He had to mean weird. "You could come to Ozpin, you know? He'd protect you. I'm sure there's witness protection. You'd be looked after and kept safe, and the things you could tell us would save a whole load of lives."

"Sorry, Red, I think I'm a little too deep for something like that."

"Why? You haven't killed anyone or anything."

His silence scared her.

"H-Have you…?"

"Ask no questions and I'll tell you no lies, Red."

Holy crap. He'd killed someone. She was talking to a murderer. She was _dancing_ with a murderer. A murderer had her held hostage via blackmail he could choose to use at just about any time, and for some reason she _wasn't_ screaming to high heaven or stabbing him with her scythe.

Oh right, because Crescent Rose was in her locker. Apparently, it wasn't an acceptable accessory to wear to a school dance. Stupid Yang. This exact moment was proof those rules need to be changed. Weaponry should be mandatory at all social events.

Weaponry other than heels, since those had proven useless here.

"Frightened?" the boy teased.

Ruby clamped down on her panic immediately. "No."

"You sure?"

"Who's be afraid of you? I'm a huntress. I fight Grimm. I drink milk."

They held one another's gaze for a minute of dancing, Ruby's face slowly turning pink.

"You want me to ignore that last one?" he finally asked.

"Please…"

He shrugged and spun her around a little more, dragging her across the dance floor and dipping her down over his arm. His roguish smile hinted that he was enjoying it more than he let on, though that might have just been because of how embarrassed he was making her.

"Don't be afraid of me, Red. At least not unless I'm fighting you."

"How likely is that?"

"For now? Not very. Later, well, that depends if I make it to a later point. If you're digging into me and my team, you might want to be careful. You won't find any mercy from the rest of them. You make a mistake and they'll kill you. Instantly."

"Why the warning? Why any of this? Why help me stop you if it means you're killed or sent to prison?"

"Because it's my choice, Red. For the first time in forever, it's _my_ choice."

/-/

Yang reflected idly that this could have gone better.

Hindsight was like that. Always 20-20. There were plenty of things Yang looked back on and wished she could change, from her last words to her mother to her first words to the guy she'd first had a crush on. Even just stupid stuff like skipping homework or making an ass out of herself in public.

Storming into the CCT and demanding their opponent surrender while dressed in a ball gown and high heels?

This, Yang regretted.

"Nice work, Yang!" Blake howled, hidden behind a computer terminal which had sprouted three black-feathered arrows. "Real good entrance. I loved the flare and the pose."

"Mistakes were made, okay."

"Oh, they were made? Were they? I couldn't tell on account of the fact we're pinned down by a single person that we could have snuck up on and attacked from behind!"

"You girls done arguing?" Sun asked.

"NO!"

"Looks like you'll have to," Neptune yelled. "Scatter!"

Yang had no idea what they were scattering from, but trusted his panic enough to follow it, diving out and rolling away as a huge ball of flame struck the barrier they'd been hiding behind. She had a moment to wonder what the point of someone who could apparently control using a bow was, when said bitch closed in on her, now swinging two black swords towards her stomach and head.

Ducking, she dodged the top one, then slammed an open palm out into the path of the other, cringing as her aura stopped it cutting through her hand but did little for the _agony_ that tore through her. Yang gritted her teeth past it and lashed out with her Semblance, launching a fiery attack that would have shattered bone if it hit.

It tore through the floor instead, not crunching her opponent like she wanted, but at least forcing her back and giving Yang a chance to escape unharmed. Mostly unharmed. Her aura had taken an uncomfortable hit on that one.

"You okay?" Sun asked.

"Oh yeah. Just peachy. You know, I catch swords with my bare hands for fun!"

"See, I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not. Whoah!" Sun dodged out the way of an arrow and might have missed the damn thing turning to dust in the air and reforming behind him, now pointing back at Sun, if it wasn't for Yang tackling him out the way.

"This chick has a lot of different Semblances!" Yang yelled. "Watch out for the fire. And the weapon changing, And the arrows dodging around stuff. Fuck sake," she mumbled. "This is ridiculous. Where is Weiss with those reinforcements?"

The elevator dinged behind them and closed, the carriage descending as it was called down.

 _Speak of the devil. If that opens and Ruby comes out, me and Weiss are gonna have words._

Hopefully, it would be Miss Goodwitch or Ozpin. Both, if they were lucky.

"You might as well surrender." Yang called, hoping to hell the woman would agree. "You're outnumbered and we can keep this up as much as we have to. You've lost. Give it up."

The woman tutted but didn't speak. She hadn't once. Instead, she darted away from a computer keyboard Blake was wielding like a weapon, caught the wiring Blake whipped towards her and then dragged the faunus off her feet. With her other hand, the woman _threw_ her curved sword at an approaching Neptune, forcing him to curse and hit the deck lest he take it in the throat.

All that followed by a spinning roundhouse that caught Blake in the chest as she fell and sent her flying back into a set of computer screens. They shattered and sparked angrily around Blake's body, but lucky didn't electrocute her or explode.

 _Ruby sure knows how to pick her enemies. First Torchwick and now this chick? What is she, some kind of huntress prodigy? Is this Pyrrha Mk.2 in skin-tight clothing with dyed hair? This is ridiculous…_

Whatever she was, she was holding the four of them off. Not winning per se, but not losing either. It might have been a different story if they had weapons – Yang certainly hoped so – but right now, with only her having any semblance of a weapon in her fists, they just weren't cutting it.

The elevator began to whirr again, coming back up.

Yang heard it.

The woman in black heard it too and glared at the door.

Yang swore when the woman dismissed both her weapons and held her arms out, summoning two balls of flame that seemed to _pulse_ with heat. "Oh, that can't be good. Guys," she called, "Might wanna dodge this one!"

"Yes," the woman said, speaking for the first time. "You might!"

The coruscating wall of flame that swept towards them incinerated the desks and chairs in its path and forced them to both dive for cover and shield their eyes against the harsh burning sensation. It headed for the elevator door just as it opened, giving Glynda Goodwitch a brief second to exclaim her shock before the flames were on her and General Ironwood beside her.

Meanwhile, their aggressor took the moment granted to dash towards the closest window and leap through it, shattering glass outward and dropping out of sight. Yang was too busy pushing herself up off the floor to stop her, then she was too busy rolling around trying to put out the flames that had caught her dress and caused it to smoulder. "Ow! Ow! Ow!"

The fireball had stopped at the elevator, bubbling and straining against some invisible force that appeared to hold it back. With an angry roar, it was swept upwards, where it _crashed_ into and through the ceiling, spreading for a moment before fizzling out against the retardant substances keeping the building safe.

On the other side of the inferno, Glynda Goodwitch stood panting with one arm outstretched and her weapon pointed toward the door. "What-" she gasped, "Is the meaning of this…? Hah. And who am I going to stretch over the coals – hah – for attacking me?"

"It wasn't us," Sun groaned, flat on his back with a nasty burn on his chest. "Also, ow…"

General Ironwood strode into the CCT, his weapon at his side. His eyes roved over each of them, landing on Yang for only the briefest second before he snapped his attention away. "Miss Schnee contacted us to say you had discovered an interloper. I have already seen to securing help for my men downstairs. I presume the one who fled through the window was the aggressor?"

Yang, groaning, managed to stagger to her feet. "Y-Yeah. She escaped…"

"Miss Xiao-Long!" Miss Goodwitch hissed. "Cover yourself!"

"What?" Yang looked down and suddenly realised why General Ironwood had looked away. The flames had caught more of her dress than she'd realised, leaving her thigh exposed up to her hip on one side, and a generous portion of side-boob showing through her top. "Eep!" Yang ducked, holding her arms over her chest and hiding her body behind a terminal.

Coughing awkwardly, General Ironwood removed his long military coat and tossed it in her general direction.

"Thank you!"

"That damage aside, is anyone injured?"

There was a general collection of `no` and `not much` from each of them. Most of the damage was superficial, though the same couldn't be said for the CCT itself, which was almost certainly going to be out of operation for a little while.

"Good." Ironwood holstered his weapon. "You did well in noticing a disturbance, and even better in drawing our attention to it. While I, and I am sure Miss Goodwitch, would have preferred you leave the attack to ourselves, I can understand why you did not."

"Yes." Miss Goodwitch agreed. "I would have had particular words for you had you not instructed Miss Schnee to contact us. I am impressed with your decision making." Her eyes roved over the room. "If not your restraint…"

"That was mostly her," Blake said. "We don't even have our weapons."

"And suddenly, I'm less impressed with your decision making. What convinced you to enter a situation like this unarmed? It was not a hostage situation, nor an immediate crisis that warranted your intervention." At the lack of an answer from any of them, Miss Goodwitch sighed. "Silence. Of course. You students ever rely on it when a discussion doesn't go your way." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "You are not being punished if that is your concern. We're just trying to understand what is going on."

"Well, we _did_ hear her monologue," Yang said.

Blake, Sun and Neptune looked her way in confusion, wondering at the lie.

Ironwood raised an eyebrow. "She spoke to you?"

"Briefly. Told us we'd never stop her plans," Yang said, lying easily. Ruby wanted to feed the intel she had to Ozpin in a way that didn't throw Jaune under the Bullhead. This worked. "Something about a plan for Vale, and she mentioned the White Fang, too."

"You're sure of this?"

"I heard it," Blake lied.

Sun nodded in agreement.

"Interesting. We should convene with Ozpin and speak about this," Ironwood said, this time to Miss Goodwitch. "Of course, your students should come to be interviewed. Again, have no fear, none of you are in trouble, but we must get the full story here."

"That idiot," Miss Goodwitch hissed suddenly.

"Glynda?"

"Ozpin just texted me." Glynda Goodwitch snapped, putting her scroll away. "He said he'd love to come and help but he promised a certain someone he would not leave the dance hall and stop watching over the students, so, sadly, he would have to give it a miss. He added that he would not want to make a habit of breaking his promises."

General Ironwood let out a long and suffering sigh.

/-/

Jaune clapped his hands together and looked over his diner. The chairs were upside down on the tables, the floor was clean, and the books were balanced. All of that without any stress, disasters, explosions or anything.

"Huh. Guess something crazy doesn't happen every day…"

* * *

 **How little you know, Jaune. How little.**

 **Mercury expressing his new-found `freedom` in unusual ways. Team RWBY showing that they can actually do things intelligently when they have to, and Sun and Neptune dodging dancing disasters with the power of bromance.**

 **Just another day at Beacon.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 12** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	41. Chapter 41

**As mentioned in other fics, my work event is approaching and I now have dates. I will be off from Sat 23** **rd** **to Friday 29** **th** **March. My event is on the 28** **th** **. This will affect Service with a Smile in that the next update would normally have been Tuesday 26** **th** **March but will now be Tuesday 2** **nd** **April.**

 **Everything will continue as normal from that point on.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 41**

* * *

"There there…"

Jaune rubbed the woman's back awkwardly. Being a counsellor or shoulder to cry on hadn't really been in the job description, but then neither had a lot of the things he'd had to do, and it wasn't like she was actually crying, per se. The world would have needed to do some serious mental gymnastics before he could imagine her sobbing like a little baby.

It was just… well, it was the closest to crying that he could imagine.

Cinder Fall slouched over the table with a steaming half-full (or half-empty, as she'd probably say it right now) mug of coffee in front of her. There were at least five empty mugs already, along with two plates that only contained the barest spattering of chocolate crumbs. That wasn't to say she'd only had that much of either, since he was cleaning up as she drank.

It was just that she'd gone through them so fast he couldn't keep up.

"I'm sure it's not _that_ bad," Jaune said.

"It is." Cinder groaned. There was no honesty between them obviously, but she wove a story that sounded real enough, and, with the knowledge he had, told him more than she probably intended to. "My employer is unhappy with progress and that is making life… difficult."

Jaune cringed and wondered who could be behind Cinder. "Have you considered a different career?"

"I have not."

"Maybe you should. This one doesn't seem to be making you happy."

"I am-" Cinder paused, considered the point and then sighed. "I am not happy when I am failing, but the work is not… that is not to say I am against it. I would not be doing what I'm doing if I didn't agree with it in some small way. Fundamentally speaking."

"But does it make you happy?"

"Yes." Her eyes narrowed as she raised her head to look at him. "You seem surprised…"

"It's not that…" He looked away and rubbed his cheek. It was hard offering sympathy to someone he'd helped screw over, let alone someone who ought to be stopped. At the same time, though, it was hard to forget that Cinder had helped him, saved him, unlocked his aura and then had Emerald teach him how to use it.

His shoulder was better now mostly thanks to her. Plus, she wasn't a bad person.

Well, she was… but she wasn't a _bad_ person.

Sort of.

 _Damn me and my beating heart._ He was supposed to be closed on a Wednesday, too. The only reason he'd let her in at all was because of the red rings around her eyes and the fact she looked ready to force her way in if he didn't open the door.

He had a feeling she'd been drinking.

"You always look like you have a purpose, but… I can't say you look _happy_. Not properly happy."

Cinder frowned. "What's the difference? I enjoy what I do."

"Yeah, but that just means it's engaging. You can enjoy something without truly being happy." He felt like he was grasping at straws, but something about it stuck. "Like me, for instance. I like reading comics and lazing around, but that doesn't make me happy. I _didn't_ use to like doing work and I _hated_ the idea of being a waiter and look at me now!" He spread his arms.

"You did not like this work?"

"At first, sure. I mean… I'm a man. Young teenager." Damn it. Man sounded better. "That's to say that I didn't really like _any_ work. I was a pretty lazy kid. Doing something like this where I'm busy all day most days wouldn't have even crossed my mind, yet I'm happier now than I've ever been before."

"I suppose that you are…" Cinder sipped her cooling coffee. "And you think I'm not?"

"I think you like what you do, but I can't say it makes you happy. You've always come across as… not miserable, but not quite all there. Sometimes smug, sometimes pleased, but never really…"

"Content?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. I don't think I've ever seen you properly smile."

"I smile often." Cinder brought one of her devilish smiles out for his pleasure. He was taken and happy with Miltia, but there was no denying the rush of pleasure he felt. Cinder really was beautiful. Dangerously so.

"I said a real smile. That's something you're putting on."

It slid off her face. "Hm."

"Can you ever say you've felt fully in love with what you do? Not satisfied, not pleased with some success, but have you ever genuinely woken up and thought `I love my job` and gone to work with a huge smile on your face?"

Cinder's fingers tapped on the table top. Her lack of an answer was answer enough. It made sense, too, at least to him. Roman was a crook but loved his work, probably because he was a raging narcissist and the thrill of the chase and the publicity appealed to him. He also made loads of money, which he could spend on anything he wanted.

Money couldn't buy you happiness, but it could buy away a whole lot of things that made you _unhappy_ , plus, even if you did think friends and activities were what led to true happiness, more money meant more opportunities to do the things that truly made you happy.

Neo? Well, he had no idea on Neo – but she seemed to _love_ life.

Or making other people's lives harder. Hard to say.

Ruby loved being a huntress. Nicholas Arc loved being a father. Ozpin loved coffee. _He_ loved seeing his little diner flourish in the face of all opposition. But Cinder? In a way, she reminded him of Blake, and not just because of the hair and eyes. Blake went after the White Fang despite that it didn't lead to any happiness, and Cinder did… whatever horrible things she was doing. Pretty much to the same effect.

"It is not… It's not quite that simple," she said. Her eyes were troubled. "I should go." Cinder made to stand, only to pause when he caught her wrist.

 _Oh hell, I'm restraining a deadly terrorist. Nice one, Jaune. Perfect plan._ He cringed and let go, though Cinder made no move to leave, content to wait and hear what it was he had to say. Which would have been great if he _had_ anything to say. He'd stopped her on impulse alone, not wanting to let it end like that.

"Have you ever had real fun?" he asked randomly.

The question seemed to shock her. "What?"

"Fun," he repeated. "Genuine fun. No questions asked. Just… spent a day to yourself."

"Relaxation? Of course. I hardly work every day of my life."

"Not relaxing," he said, earning a frown. "Relaxing is more about destressing and is what you do when your body or mind can't go on any longer. That's kind of the issue I'm getting at. I mean have you ever spent a day out just having fun? Just doing things you like?"

"I have had days to myself…" She frowned. "I'm not sure what you mean."

Yeah, he wasn't either. "What do you normally do on your days off?"

"I stay in our dorm and have a drink."

Jaune raised a brow.

Cinder looked away. "Now that I say it like that… but I _do_ like wine."

"Well, that's better, I guess, but I still think you're a little too young to be driven to drink on your days off."

"My work is demanding," Cinder defended.

"Stressful?"

"Perhaps…"

"You seeing my point here?"

"Perhaps," she repeated, admitting some small defeat. Her eyes snapped to his. "Very well. What do _you_ do on your days off?"

 _Apparently, I spend them offering advice to super villains._

"Uh. I relax, I guess, but it's not the same! My work truly makes me happy, so I don't need to seek more when I have a day off. Work isn't work to me. Work is fun and my day off is a chance to sit back and think about all the amazing experiences I had during the week. It's more for my body than anything, since it just _needs_ a good night's sleep and a day off. If I could, I'd work every day."

"You're committed…"

"No. I'm having fun. I love my work. That's kind of the point I'm making. You don't, otherwise you wouldn't be so exhausted all the time. You're drained, Cinder. Physically, mentally and emotionally."

The woman crossed her arms. She didn't look angry, more pissed. Probably not at him, but at the situation in general. He had a feeling that if he'd really annoyed her, she'd not have been shy in showing it. "What do you suggest then?"

"New job?"

"No. It is… not that simple."

He could imagine. It would have been far too convenient if Cinder broke down and recanted her evil ways to open an orphanage, but that was probably a step too far. Small steps. Baby steps. If he couldn't convince her to drop everything entirely, maybe he could plant the seed?

"Have fun, I guess. Go and spend the day doing things you actually like."

"Such as…?"

"Uh…"

/-/

"Well, we got out alive and without the rest of the year in detention," Yang said. "I'm calling that a win."

"I'm calling it a miracle," Weiss replied. "The CCT is in ruins and the enemy escaped. All we really did was cause a mess and highlight the fact they existed in the first place. Something that could have been ascertained simply by the unconscious guards outside. I'm surprised we didn't get in more trouble for going in."

"Huntresses can't wait for reinforcements all the time," Blake said. "I think we scored points by having you inform General Ironwood and Miss Goodwitch. If we'd gone in on our own…"

"Detention for the rest of our lives," Yang said, nodding. "Welp. Good job we didn't pull a Blake, then."

"Excuse me?"

"Running into danger without any thought for consequences, reinforcements or common sense. That's called `doing a Blake`."

"Since when?"

"Since now?"

"The name fits," Weiss said, stroking her chin.

"It absolutely does not!"

It kind of did, Ruby was forced to admit. She hid her giggles behind her weapons magazine. A team leader wasn't supposed to pick sides. Blake was never going to be allowed to forget how she ran off like an idiot and nearly got herself killed, though.

If it wasn't for Jaune…

Well, he'd been there so it didn't matter. Not there as in fighting alongside Blake – he wasn't a huntsman – but there to offer her a place to stay so Blake didn't get stuck on her own. And he'd pushed her into contacting them. That counted for a lot. Not every problem needed to be beaten back with a scythe, and Jaune was good at dealing with things like that.

And now she'd paid him back, too. Ruby felt giddier about that than anything else. Jaune's problem with those evil people was over now that Ozpin knew about them. Like Weiss said, there was really no way he could miss the fact the CCT had been attacked and destroyed.

Chalk one up for the good guys. Oh yeah.

Shame it was Wednesday, though. She'd have liked to have gone and celebrated with Jaune.

Poo.

Oh well, he needed his days off as well. So did they, to be honest. Dad's allowance wasn't really supporting the team's new coffee addiction, and Weiss was as stingy as ever when it came to treating them.

"You think Jaune will be safe now that we've passed this on to Ozpin?" Yang asked. "I mean, it's job done, right? We can trust the headmaster to handle it from now on."

"I would hope so," Weiss said. "It _is_ his job, and he does have the aid of General Ironwood. The CCT is technically a gift from Atlas, so its destruction is an insult against Atlas."

"Yeah, and its destruction interrupted his dance with Miss G," Yang laughed. "I'd say that makes it personal. Bring down the Atlas military; Ironwood is about to go on a rampage!"

"You're so childish. General Ironwood is a professional."

"Hey. He's still a man."

"You should know," Blake teased, "Considering you flashed him."

Yang squawked angrily and launched her pillow like a missile, knocking Blake clean off the end of her bed. "BLAKE!"

Ruby looked up. "Yang flashed General Ironwood?"

"Ruby, no!"

"Oh yes," Weiss said evilly. "Let me tell you _all_ about it."

/-/

He wasn't quite sure _how_ he'd ended up on what felt awkwardly like a date with Cinder Fall, but happen it had. The two of them were walking through a park in Vale together, not hand in hand, but close enough to look like they were dating. Close enough for him to send a text to Miltia briefly explaining the situation in case she found out.

Her reply of ` _Wtf_ ` summed it all up fair well, he thought.

Cinder had opted for a slightly more casual method of dress than her usual red dress over black shorts. Instead, she wore dark leggings under a brown leather skirt with a cream blouse and a grey scarf. The days were getting just a little cooler as the festival approached, though winter was still a few months away.

A few people had already looked their way. Older couples with whimsical looks and some young men with jealousy towards him or pure desire for Cinder. He wasn't sure if he should have felt annoyed on her part or worried for those poor innocent fools.

Operation: Cinder's Fun-Time was not going at full speed, however.

"This is peaceful," she said politely. Her eyes skirted over the park, the fountain and several people having picnics, but without any real interest.

"Not fun though?"

"It's relaxing."

 _Idiot,_ he thought to himself. _Who walks around a park for fun? This is for spending time with someone, and Cinder only has work colleagues. Well, apart from me. Cinema? No, that's too much like a date, and I doubt a woman fully used to fighting is going to find action flicks impressive._

What he wouldn't have given for a carnival to pop up, but that was going to be saved for the Vytal Festival. No one was going to try and compete with that. "Do you like music?" he asked randomly. "Any preferences?"

"Some. Classical, piano… I find Mercury's taste in wub-step appalling."

"Wub-step?" Was that a joke? The small and cruel curl to her lips suggested so and he laughed. "Nice one. Nothing from Emerald?"

"Emerald likes whatever _I_ like." Cinder rolled her eyes. "Or at least she pretends to."

"Oh. That must be a little awkward."

"It is…" A range of emotions flickered over Cinder's face. Not all of them bad, but most not exactly `happy` either. "It _is_ awkward," she finally said. "I try not to dwell on it. When she thinks I am not looking or listening, I've heard her listen to mainstream music."

"Do you play?"

"An instrument?" Cinder shook her head. "No, I…" Her eyes narrowed. "Once upon a time, I recall learning the violin. Or beginning to. That… That was a different life, however. One left behind."

"You ever think to take it up again?"

"No…"

"You didn't enjoy it?"

"I… I might have done." Again, her eyes flickered. "I was young then. Much younger. I recall it was my mother who wanted me to learn, but she… passed on before I had the chance to master it. She died in an attack on our village," Cinder said, no real emotion in her voice.

"Grimm?"

"In a sense." Cinder sighed. "But I do not blame the Grimm for it. There was a team of huntsmen that were fleeing Grimm they had startled and then proved unable to defeat. Lacking any means of escape, they led the Grimm to our small village and used us as a distraction. The village was defenceless and quickly overrun. Sacrificed for the life of a single team of huntsmen."

Jaune's eyes widened. He felt sick. "That's…"

"Horrible?"

"Disgusting. Cowardly. Absolutely foul. Tell me that team were punished."

"By whom?" Cinder asked, chuckling mirthlessly. "Villages outside the walls of the major cities rise and fall every day and no one cares to know of them. I doubt the huntsmen ever reported what it was they did."

"So they got away with it?"

"Not entirely. I sought them out once I was older. It turns out they suffered a… series of accidents."

Murder, then. Jaune pretended he couldn't read between the lines. "Sounds like they deserved it."

"Yes." For once, Cinder's smile seemed genuine. "Yes, they did."

"How did you survive?"

"Hm?"

"From the village, I mean. Did you hide from the Grimm?"

He wouldn't have normally asked someone a question like that, but Cinder didn't seem bothered by the memory. And not in a `I'm repressing it` kind of way. More a `this happened and I'm over it` one. Enough so that he felt confident asking wouldn't lead to tears or violence.

"My mother concealed me in a small cubby under the floorboards while she remained above to try and defend me. It went poorly, as you might expect. The Grimm then smelt or sensed me and began to dig down but were… stopped by someone else. That person rescued and took me in. I will not say it was out of love, but a shared interest. A mutual set of goals."

"Is that the person you work for now?"

Cinder watched him cautiously, but apparently saw no danger in the question. "Yes."

"Well, maybe we could visit a music shop."

"As you wish."

"It's supposed to be what _you_ want," Jaune mumbled, but led her on regardless. It had all seemed so easy to suggest Cinder have fun, but it really wasn't. He knew what _he_ liked to do, but Cinder was an enigma. Apparently, to herself as much as to him. It really did feel like a first date; one of those terrible first dates you heard about where you were trying to show someone a good time and just trying one thing after another, hoping one would magically stick.

Finding a music store wasn't difficult. Vale had a huge mall complex that catered to just about anything and everything, and a store window containing numerous guitars, keyboards and a drum set made for an obvious choice. It was run by a faunus with crazy blue hair spiked up and a pierced nose who was busy arguing with a guy in a black leather jacket about guitars.

The classical instruments were toward the back and a little forgotten compared to the more common ones. Cinder looked over some of the violins and took one down off its hooks. Her hands settled on the varnished wood and she turned it over, inspecting it with an almost nostalgic focus.

Silently, Jaune watched her.

Cinder's hand flicked one of the strings. It made a quiet noise.

"It's not tuned…"

"You can tell by ear?" he asked. "I know how to play the guitar, but I need to use a little tester to tell what the notes are. I'm not tone deaf, just… tone useless."

Cinder chuckled. "I doubt I am much better, but I can tell it is not quite there." Her fingers plucked the other strings and the notes were a little flat.

"Aren't you supposed to use a bow?"

The violin came down. Cinder stared at him.

"What? Is that not the right word?"

"It is," she said, "But the strings should still be tuned without it." There was a faint, amused, curl to her lips. "You didn't know?"

"Hey. I learned to play the guitar."

Smiling, Cinder turned back to the violin. He had the strangest feeling she was mocking him without saying a word. She continued to fiddle with the violin a little, twisting some of the knobs and testing the strings with her nails. The cashier had stopped talking to the other now and was watching them, but seeing Cinder not causing any trouble, shrugged and began to read a magazine behind the counter.

Once she was happy, she brought the bow up and dragged it lightly across the strings. The sound wasn't quite perfect, not as one might have expected, but it was close. It was a note. An F, he thought. Slowly, clumsily, Cinder played another two notes beside it and then repeated them, dragging out the third. Apparently frustrated, she stopped.

"Was that a lullaby?"

"I'm surprised you recognised it," she said. "I was better when I was younger…"

"You're out of practice."

"Hm." Cinder turned to put the violin back on the shelf but paused when he stopped her.

"You could get back into it."

"Why? I have enough responsibilities as it is. Learning an instrument is a commitment I have neither the time nor effort for."

"It's not hard work if it's fun. And you looked like you were enjoying yourself."

Cinder's mouth opened to deny it, but she refrained. "It was… nostalgic," she admitted. "It has been years since I thought of home. Of my mother. It has been over ten years since she died. The memories are… distant."

"But not bad?"

"She loved me, and I loved her. My father died a few winters before. He loved us, too." Curiously, Cinder looked at the violin. "He used to play, I recall. He was supposed to teach me but never had the chance."

"Your mom found someone else to?"

"Yes. I believe she wanted a way to remember him. She used to like listening to me play, as clumsy as I was at it." Cinder laughed and then froze, surprised by the sound. As if she hadn't heard herself laugh properly before.

"I think you should buy it," he said before she could put it back and bottle those feelings up. "What would it hurt? At the worst, you don't play it and it becomes an ornament. At best, you might find it a good way to relax and have a little fun between work."

"Perhaps." Cinder drew it back with a complicated frown. "I suppose there's no harm…"

Without another word, Cinder made her way to the counter, pausing briefly to talk to the faunus behind it, who suggested a book with some simple sheet music in if she were interested. Interested was a strong term. Cinder looked cautious at best. Even so, she accepted the book and added it to the tally.

If she could afford to rent his diner during the nights, she obviously had money. Most of it was blood money he assumed, but he didn't let it bother him. Or rather, he acted like it didn't bother him. Cinder learning violin was Cinder _not_ destroying Vale.

Maybe it wouldn't mean anything, but he'd hope for a miracle.

"This is a waste," Cinder said as they left, her with a new violin case in hand. "I'll not have the opportunity to learn, let alone play."

"Eh. We'll see. It's not like you're working twenty-four seven. Like I said, if it doesn't work out it'll be an ornament. What's the harm?"

"A waste of resources."

"If you say so…"

Cinder didn't look that upset about the money.

/-/

It was time to pull out the big guns.

He was out of ideas. No, he'd been out of ideas from the start – but you couldn't grow up with seven sisters without knowing at least one or two tricks. Maybe it was stereotypical to think all girls would be the same, but all his sisters shared a few common interests and he was desperate enough to try one of them.

A dangerous one.

"A… pet store…" Cinder's eyes narrowed. Had she been a faunus, he could imagine her ears flicking and laying back. Her attention roamed over the cats and dogs in the windows, most of whom were sleeping. "You do not own a pet. Why are we here?"

"My friend has a dog," he said, thinking of Ruby. "I thought I could get her a toy to pass onto him, and it's not like we have much else to do. You can have a look at the animals while I browse around. It's allowed."

Cinder rolled her eyes. "As you wish."

It wasn't quite the enthusiasm he'd been hoping for. Jaune watched her to see where her interests might lay, but Cinder simply walked up to a display of fish tanks and hummed dispassionately, watching the brightly coloured things swim around.

 _Seriously? Another bust? She has to like something…_

Maybe she didn't. Maybe she was just a bad person or doomed to be one. Maybe whatever happened with her village had changed her irreparably, and he was arrogant for thinking he could be the one to fix it. He was no psychiatrist. He was a barista.

With a mournful sigh, Jaune pushed into the aisle set aside for dog and cat toys, each set opposite one another on two different shelving units. Ruby had only really mentioned Zwei in passing, but he'd said he was here for dog treats now, so he had to prove it. They were all cheap, though.

"Corgi. That's the small one…"

How small? Some of the toys were for puppies, so he stayed away from them. According to Ruby, Zwei was smart. Smart enough that they had to hide the dog treats in a high cupboard and _still_ install a lock on it. A squeaky toy was a bad idea. Especially if Yang got hold of it, annoyed Weiss and got it destroyed before it ever reached the dog.

In the end, he chose a small Beowolf chew plush shaped like the Grimm in question. It was weird to think of anyone making a toy shaped after a murderous monster, but since it was bound to be chewed and ultimately destroyed by man's best friend, he figured it was okay. The thing was squeezy and hard in different places, offering different texture and material to chew on. The label promised tough wear and no synthetic material inside that the dog might swallow or choke on.

Good enough. It was about time to get out and find something else to try and distract Cinder wit-

"Owuuuu…"

Cinder was stood before a glass panel, her hands on her knees and her head leaning forward to look at a white and grey puppy. A husky. It had huge paws for its size, which it placed on the window as it whined and made little sounds at Cinder.

"Owu," Cinder replied softly. "Owuuu."

"Owuwuwuwuwu!" the dog replied, batting the window.

"Owu…" Cinder touched the window to the side.

The dog placed its paw on her finger.

"Owu," Cinder said, mimicking the sound.

Not unlike his sisters after all…

He made a sound. He didn't mean to, but must have, for Cinder's head snapped suddenly towards him. She stood quickly, eyes burning. No other reaction. No heat in her cheeks, no embarrassment and no reaction to having been caught playing with the puppy.

He swallowed. "Did you-"

"You're done?"

"I… yeah, I found a toy." He hoisted the bag the cashier provided. "Are you-?"

"Let's go," Cinder said, brushing past him. "I'm hungry."

"Wuuuuu…" the puppy whined mournfully. Its tailed wagged as it futilely pawed at the glass, trying to get out and chase Cinder. It slid down after a moment of its best effort and howled weakly. "Owuuuuuu…"

Cinder paused for a moment, then, with a shake of her head, continued on.

The puppy slumped down behind the glass.

/-/

They ate in silence.

To anyone watching, it must have seemed as though he were in the dog house. That, or breaking up with his girlfriend, because Cinder ate mechanically and without saying a word. The food was simple enough and served in an open-air café in the middle of the mall. The coffee was instant brand and smelled so horrible that he'd gone for water instead.

When they were done, he paid for the both of them and fiddled with some change, leaving a tip for the beleaguered waiter running around serving far too many people. To his credit, he had managed a tired smile for them. It was more than Jaune expected.

The whole day was so much less, though.

"This didn't really work out as I thought it would…" he said sadly. "I was really hoping we'd be able to have fun, but it feels like I've done nothing but waste your time. I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have pushed…"

"Don't blame yourself," Cinder said, not unkindly. Her eyes were not on his, however. "I appreciate you putting in the effort."

"I was hoping to show you what real happiness is, though."

"And maybe that isn't something one person can show another. Perhaps I need to discover it on my own, if such a thing is possible. Regardless, I would not say the day was uninteresting. It was… novel to do something different."

Novel. Not entertaining, fun or interesting. Just… new. He tried not to let that bother him and went with a little joke instead, hoping to at least win one smile. "Did you really have to pause before you said that?"

"Perhaps…"

"And now you're just mocking me."

"Perhaps."

"Argh!" He threw his hands in the air but wasn't really offended. Just disappointed in himself. "Well, it's a bust from me. I still think your job doesn't really make you as happy as it should, but you're probably right. It's not for me to show you around and introduce you to things until you find something that makes you happy. That's now how it worked for me, either. I had to discover it for myself."

"As I said, I appreciate the effort. It made for a better day than wallowing on my recent failure."

"There is that, I guess."

It wasn't what he'd wanted, of course. In his head, he'd had the naïve idea of solving all their problems by convincing Cinder to change her mind. It was stupid even looking back on it. If her mind could be changed so easily, then it would mean she wasn't even committed to this insanity in the first place.

In the end, Cinder was going to continue with her plans, and he was going to have to trust Ruby and the others to stop her. It sucked, but he'd done what he could. He'd done his best.

Still, as he watched Cinder walk away, he couldn't help but wish he'd found a better answer.

"I sure messed that one up…"

Jaune walked glumly back to the diner.

He'd failed…

/-/

Mercury crept back into their dorm with nary a sound, hoping Cinder and Emerald wouldn't think to ask why he'd been gone for so long or what he'd been up to. There was no immediate Emerald to the face or a Cinder stare, so that was a good sign. In fact, Emerald was nowhere in sight. Had they gone out?

"Owuwuwu."

Huh?

The high-pitched, yet low, sound echoed again.

"Do not argue with me," Cinder replied.

"Owu…"

"No. You will conduct yourself as befits your image."

"Ruuuu…."

 _The fuck is that?_ Mercury crept a little further, dreading some horrifying sex game between Emerald and Cinder. Not that it wouldn't be hot as hell to see, but he'd be a dead man if Emerald caught him thinking it. Besides, he was fairly sure Cinder didn't see the other girl that way. Emerald did, obviously. Girl was obsessed.

Slinking up past the bathroom door, Mercury poked his head around the corner and caught Cinder's hair over the back of the sofa. She was dressed differently from usual; indication that she'd spent the day out. That was handy. It probably meant he wasn't about to be further interrogated on why the CCT incident went so poorly.

Luckily, he had an alibi. Emerald had seen him dancing as instructed, and he'd even kept Red busy, making it look like he'd spotted her interest in interfering with the plan and gone after and distracted her. Cinder, through her fury, had been pleased with him for that.

He'd still expected to come back to more anger and rage, however.

It was why he'd run off to spend the day on his own.

"Owu."

"You are persistent," Cinder said. "I can approve of this to a degree…"

A low pad of something hitting the floor. "Rrrr…"

"Do you think you have earned my attention? I am not so easily pleased…"

 _Oh God, it IS the sex games._ Interest warred with horror. Interest won out. One look and he could die happy. Swallowing, Mercury looked over the couch.

There were no games.

No Emerald, either.

Instead, Cinder knelt on the floor, somehow looking regal and imposing even on her knees, with one hand held out towards the fluffiest thing he'd ever seen. In time, it might have been a large white dog used to the cold Atlas winter. Right now, it was a gangly ball of white fluff with legs. The puppy pawed the ground and grumbled. "Rrr…"

"Paw." Cinder commanded, hand held out.

The puppy slapped its paw on her hand.

"Good."

Making a happy sound, the thing rolled over and exposed its belly. Its tail wagged furiously.

"I suppose you have earned it, just this once." Cinder began to rub its stomach and the dog's leg kicked happily. "Do not become accustomed to such. You will need to adapt if you wish to remain in my good graces."

The dog wiggled in pure glee.

 _The hell am I looking at…?_ Mercury wondered. He had entered the wrong room? He looked around to be sure, but this was definitely their room and that was definitely his psychopathic boss playing with a puppy on the floor. There were several bags of shopping nearby, one tipped over with an assortment of puppy supplies, food and toys on the floor. There was even a dog bed set to the side of his bed.

Wait a minute, had Cinder moved his stuff to make room for the dog?

Come on…

"Arf!" The dog rolled over, spotting him. It leapt in front of Cinder protectively. "Arf! Grrrr!"

"What are-?" Cinder turned, saw him and froze. "Mercury…"

"Um." He had the sinking feeling he hadn't been supposed to see the moment. "C-Cinder. Hey. Nice… uh… nice dog."

"Yes. Yes, he is."

Her eyes narrowed.

"I didn't see anything."

"No. No, you did not."

* * *

 **Aw. Cinder snuck back without Jaune to buy the puppy. Cinder with a puppy. Somehow, it fits in my head. And yes, I know, we should all get animals from rescue shelters, etc, but this is just a story. Let's not go crazy.**

 **Remember, the next chapter will be a week later due to my event and week off.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 2** **nd** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	42. Chapter 42

**Here we are.**

 **Glad to see everyone enjoyed doggo Cinder. Obviously, the mentions of Cinder's past are non-canon and just made up by me, but I think it's important to humanise villains. It gives us context and lets us understand why they do what they do. It was one of the reasons I actually liked Adam's character, in before it got watered down into "I'm just an obsessive and abusive ex".**

 **Anyway, let's move on with the chapter.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 42**

* * *

"So, Cinder has a dog now."

Adam raised a single eyebrow, looking at Mercury over the top of his mug. The silver-haired teen was wearing a black jacket over a white shirt and some jeans. He'd wondered why the jacket had small flecks of white hair across it. "Did I ask for an update on your living situation?"

"You didn't _not_ ask for it. Besides, what else are we going to talk about? Lovely weather we're having. Have you been seeing anyone? Oh, I love what you've done with your hair."

"A dog, then." Adam gave up easily. Neither of them was quite sure why they continued to meet or why they kept interacting, but it wasn't uncommon for them to meet at Jaune's at similar times, sit together and just talk.

A human criminal and a faunus supremacist walk into a bar.

There was probably a joke in there somewhere.

"Yeah. A dog. Little thing. Real ball of fluff. Husky, I think."

"You think? It's a distinctive breed."

"Yeah well, right now it's an energetic ball of white and grey fluff with two eyes and a little tongue. I'm the poor sucker who's been tasked with taking it out for potty breaks." Mercury's face lit up. "Though, you wouldn't _believe_ how much of a girl magnet it is. I get _swamped_ with chicks when I'm out walking him."

Adam snorted. " _The dog_ gets swamped with women."

"I'm swamped by association. It's good enough for me. Emerald isn't a fan, more because of how it monopolises Cinder's attention than her not liking dogs. Cinder doesn't even seem to realise she's stroking it; she's just plotting evil with a fluffy pupper in her lap nibbling her fingers."

"Adorable." Adam managed to somehow say it and sound both serious and sarcastic at the same time.

"Less adorable is when Miss Goodwitch found out. She said pets aren't supposed to be on campus and you should have seen the look on Cinder's face. I thought we were breaking cover right there. If looks could kill, it would have been a bloodbath."

"I assume by the lack of panic across Remnant that she managed to find a solution."

"Cinder mentioned Team RWBY having one, then came up with some story about how she has no family other than the dog and it would have to be sent to the pound or put down if she weren't allowed to have it. And bam!" Mercury slapped the table, drawing more than a few looks across the diner. Not that he cared. "Miss Goodwitch folds like a house of cards. I'm telling you, man. That thing has a Semblance. It's a Semblance that makes girls melt."

"I can think of one woman who wouldn't," Adam mumbled. Blake had never been fond of dogs, something that Adam had taken a subtle delight in. Despite what many thoughts, faunus traits did not actually pass through faunus. Rabbit faunus did not procreate faster than normal people. Dog faunus did not have stronger noses and cat faunus should not be afraid of dogs or have _any_ desire for seafood beyond their normal tastes.

It was coincidence that Blake fit every stereotype. He knew, or had known, Blake's mother before he cut ties with Menagerie, and Kali had hated fish and loved dogs in equal measure.

Chuckling to himself and wondering idly why he found himself enjoying his time spent with a human in a human establishment, Adam finished his drink. "The dog is to stay, then?"

"Looks like it. I won't complain. It's a cute little thing. Not so much a fan of how Cinder glares at me when she thinks I'm watching her play with it, though. She gives me this `you saw nothing` glare that threatens me with disembowelment if I don't look away."

"Are you? Staring at her, I mean."

"Yeah but come on. It's Cinder! Cinder Fall is on her knees leaning over a little puppy and dangling a small rope toy over its head, making it snap and play with it. This is like Sienna Khan playing with human children. It just doesn't happen. You have to stop and stare."

"You would be surprised," Adam said, sipping a little more coffee. "Not that I expect Sienna does in fact do that, but we are terrorists, not monsters. Killing children is not something we exactly aspire to do, and certainly not if it can be avoided."

"That's surprisingly nice of you."

"Children should not be punished for the crimes of their parents."

"Unless they're Schnee children?"

"Even if they are Schnee," Adam countered. "We have intentionally neglected to target the young. The current heiress only became one when she attacked us first at the Vale docks. She brought it upon herself. Most of the time, we limit our actions to those in direct control. Managers, Directors or older Schnee family members who have already shown their true colours." Adam sighed and changed the subject. "Does this new member of your team have a name?"

"You know, I didn't think to ask."

Adam closed his eyes. "It needs one. Speaking its name in its formative years will help it to learn. Make sure she chooses one for it, and that she stimulates its mind with play and challenges. It is an energetic breed."

"Huh. You know a lot about dogs."

"A little. I happen to like them."

Not that Blake ever let him entertain the thought of having one. It wouldn't have been fair anyway, since he couldn't give it the loving environment it deserved. Even so, he'd made it a habit to feed the last stray he'd found, and then to find someone within the White Fang who _could_ give it a family and a home.

Last he heard, it was doing well.

"Really? Never took you for a dog person."

"Dogs are intelligent, brave and loyal creatures. If you treat them well and respect them then they will stand by you through thick and thin, attacking Grimm ten or more times their size to protect the ones they care for." Adam put his cup down. "People – both human and faunus - could stand to learn a lot from them."

"I hear you there." Mercury raised his mug. "To people sucking."

With a snort, Adam clinked his mug against his companion's.

"Cheers."

/-/

Work gave Jaune the distraction he needed from his failure to cheer Cinder up the day before. He'd slept fitfully, waking up to wonder if he couldn't have done more, but the moment the day started and Velvet came trundling by with his little red trolley-cart filled with cakes, such thoughts had vanished entirely.

By the time Russel came around later, it was all hands on deck.

"Is it just me or are there more huntsmen than usual?" Jaune called to Russel over the crowd.

"Festival transfers!" Russel yelled back.

"What? But they've been here for weeks!"

"Yeah, but they were settling in. Looks like they've finally heard about you."

"Look! Look! Look! This is it." A short figure swept towards the counter, dragging a dark-skinned woman behind her. They were both huntresses. Jaune wasn't sure if it was just something about their distinctive style, or him somehow noticing small tells.

He hung around enough of them.

"Reese, calm down," the taller girl said.

"Hell no." The smaller girl, Reese apparently, slammed her hands down on the counter and stared directly at him. It wasn't even past him to the menu behind, or at the cakes or coffee, but _directly_ at him. Her eyes narrowed. "Hmmm…"

"C-Can I help you…?"

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…"

Uncertain, he looked over her head to the other. "Can I help her?"

"No one can help her," the girl's teammate said sadly. "Believe me, we've been trying for over a year." The woman extended a hand. "Arslan Altan."

"Oh. I'm Jaune. Jaune Arc." He shook her hand, noting just how powerful her grip really was. That seemed to be a cue for Reese to come back to life.

"Ahah! I knew it. You're Jaune!"

"Uh. Yes. It's what my name badge says." He paused. "And what I just said."

"And you own this place!"

"It _is_ called `Jaune's`."

"Cool." The girl, who had the strangest hairdo he'd ever seen, not to mention two black lines across her cheek that his fingers _itched_ to try and rub away, grinned. "You're not as cute as you look on the internet, but I'll bite. I've come for your drama and your coffee!"

"M-My what?" Jaune leaned back, away from her pointing finger. "A-And what do you mean on the internet? Why am I on the internet? And what drama?"

"Duh." Reese drew out her scroll and showed him a picture. On it, his face could be seen, along with a list of forum posts on something or other. He didn't really get a chance to read it on account of how quickly she pulled it back. "I've seen the videos."

"What videos!?"

" _All_ the videos!"

"I think that he is unsure what you mean, Reese," Arslan said.

Reese sighed, as if he were particularly dense and wasting her time. "Café Prime. The scandal. Cute bunny-girl kick-ass waitress."

Velvet's ears straightened. "Did someone call for me?"

"No, Velvet."

"Ohmygosh there she is. I want her autograph! Do you think she'll beat _me_ up if I try and restrain her? That's, like, a personalised autograph. Let's find out!" Reese ducked past Arslan's arm and away. "If she gets me in a sleeper hold make sure to get a selfish, Ars!"

Jaune honestly felt a little dizzy.

"I apologise for my teammate. She is… energetic." Arslan said it like a beleaguered mother might about a child of six years who hadn't stopped screaming all night. "We're relatively new to Vale and we've finished looking at all the landmarks, which means we're now just waiting for the festival to begin. My team have heard good things about this place. You come highly recommended."

"Thanks?" He rubbed his head. "Sorry, I'm still a little lost."

Arslan's smile grew. "Reese has that effect on people."

"Eek!" Velvet yelped, apparently unprepared to be glomped by an excitable green-haired girl.

Luckily for both Reese and his café, she didn't flip out and throw Reese through a table like the odd girl thought she might. Velvet and Café Prime were something of an exception to the rule. Personally, he figured she just hated them for making her speak in front of all those journalists. While Velvet had come out of her shell working here, no one enjoyed that kind of attention.

"I shall go rescue your waitress. Could we have some cake and a menu to table six?"

"Table six," Jaune said with a nod, looking over to see two men watching Reese and Velvet, one with dark hair that looked remarkably like Lie Ren, and the other a dark-skinned man with aggressively pink hair. They were certainly a noticeable bunch.

In fact, a whole lot of the people in the diner stood out. Huntsmen and huntresses always had – at least the younger ones. The adults stood out too, but it was more for the sense of eerie calm they had. The kind of feeling of safety and security you got, a sense of calmness and control they exuded that left a civilian like Jaune knowing that even if a Grimm attacked, they could dispatch it before he had to bother being worried.

The students, though?

Well, it was like they hadn't quite decided on the style they wanted – and so had just sort of stood in the middle of a fancy dress shop and detonated a bomb. Whatever clothing stuck to them in the blast, they wore, and to hell with fashion or whether it made sense.

His eyes were drawn to a girl with orange hair in buns so big they were the size of her head, with bright blue bangs, a rainbow coloured top, pink skirt and wearing – in the middle of his diner – a pair of pink roller-skates that were shitting our rainbows as she drifted from one display counter to the next looking at cakes and treats.

"Am I missing something…?"

"Probably," Russel said from beside him, working on the espresso machine. "It's the dance being over."

"How does your school dance ending equate with my diner being packed with carnival rejects?"

"Because all the transfers were too focused on the dance to wander around Vale. Think about it like this, you're here in another Kingdom for a big tournament but there's also a formal school dance in a week or two. You end up focusing on the dance first and getting ready for that, but then when it's over you've got nothing to do but wait until the tournament. So, what do you do?"

"Train?"

Russel laughed. "You're really overestimating us. Or underestimating our lessons. We train for hours every day as part of school hours. If you train after that as well, you're going to pull a muscle. This close to the tournament, that can kill your chances."

"I see. So what, they're all coming here?"

"They're exploring Vale. Landmarks, cultural things, the usual stuff you do when you go to another country. Except that they're all asking _Beacon's students_ what there is to do in Vale. We mingle and talk between ourselves."

"And because most students in Beacon know of my place, they're all coming here."

"Yep. Probably not _just_ to come here, but no matter if they're here to visit a museum, see a landmark or tour the closed tunnels to Mountain Glenn, they're going to want to take a break at some point. Catch a bite to eat and a drink. And what's the number one place touted for that by both the students and staff at Beacon? Right here."

And it being the lunch hour, everyone was coming for food. It made sense. Beacon had also stopped lessons before the festival. He knew that from both Russel and Velvet suddenly having a lot more flexible schedules, and because Ozpin and Oobleck had come down to celebrate with a coffee-off.

Jaune had never heard of a `coffee-off` before.

He wished to never see it again. Or Ozpin's despair at having lost to Oobleck.

"Basically, you're all bored and looking for something to do."

"Pretty much. That's the thing about being a huntsman; you get used to fighting all the time and being active. Even if it's just training, your mind is being worked so all that energy goes somewhere. We're probably the fittest and most energetic kids in the whole world, and all of a sudden we have no way of burning off all that energy."

Jaune sighed. "And I'm giving you coffee? Is that even a good idea?"

"Eh. Probably not."

Great. He was catering to a bunch of over-eager teenagers with control issues and the means – and weapons – to level a city block. And to make matters worse, he was caffeinating them. Considering they solved just about every problem with violence, being trained to fight Grimm after all, he was surprised the diner hadn't turned into a brawl.

Then again, it might have had something to do with Miss Goodwitch sat in the corner in a rather nice casual blouse and skirt combo that made her look almost ten years younger. Jaune knew he wasn't the only person to notice, since every straight and unattached male student from Beacon was sneaking glances in her direction.

"You're busy today," Glynda said as he approached with a mug of tea.

"I understand I have you to thank for that."

She smiled ruefully. "My apologies. Even teachers need a little time off, however."

"It's no problem." Jaune put her mug down and then another, black. "Are you waiting on someone?"

"I'm spending the day with an old friend."

"A date?"

Glynda coughed into one hand. "That is hardly an appropriate question for a young man to ask a woman."

"I'm not hearing a no."

She glared at him, but there was an undeniable hint of pink to her cheeks. "I may not be able to give you detention, but I can still make your life difficult, Mr Arc."

He laughed. "Warning taken. Would you like some cake while you wait?"

"That won't be necessary. James should be here soon." Glynda paused and then winced, realising she had given it away. "I'll thank you not to tell Ozpin. He would be… irritating about this. Those two are such good friends and yet they can be incredibly childish around one another."

"My lips are sealed."

"Thank you. In return, I'll tell you that things should calm down once we send our students on their upcoming missions."

"Missions?"

"Mr Thrush hasn't warned you? It's a curriculum requirement that teams be sent on one mission per year, growing each year. A single recon mission in year one, two in year two and so on. We call them missions, but they're more like field studies. Teams are sent, accompanied by a teacher or professional huntsman, to locations in need of aid. Either clearing out Grimm, rebuilding or patrolling routes between towns and villages. It's to gain experience of what their work might be like after graduation while still having a safety net to rely on."

"Work experience, then."

"Yes. That's an accurate enough metaphor."

"Is it dangerous?"

"Inevitably, but we have not lost anyone in six years and do not intend to start now. There's always some level of danger in being a huntsman, but we pick the tasks carefully and ensure they are accompanied by exceptional individuals. First year teams especially." Glynda smiled his way. "Do not worry for your friends. Mr Thrush is a first year and will be sent with a member of staff or particularly strong huntsman, while Miss Scarlatina has done this multiple times before and is quite experienced."

That was good. He hadn't realised life at Beacon could be so dangerous, but that was naïve. They were training to become huntsmen, to fight and risk their lives against the Grimm. Of course the teachers would want to give them real life experience of that.

"Guess I'll be a little less busy if everyone is off on these missions at once. Maybe I should take a week off."

"That wouldn't be a bad idea." Glynda's head perked up as the bell on the door rang. "Ah. Here he is."

"I'm sorry I'm late," Ironwood said, moving forward with a tired expression but a genuinely happy smile. He looked out of place in casual fatigues, though it was still smart-casual at best. Jaune wasn't sure the General could manage going with anything less. "You haven't been waiting long have you?"

"Only two or three minutes."

"Huh." Jaune's mouth opened before he could stop himself. "You've been here half an hour at lea-"

Glynda glared bloody murder at him through her red cheeks.

Ironwood looked flattered. His grin grew even wider. "Really? Glynda, you needn't have."

"Yes. Well." Glynda fiddled with her mug, unwilling to look Ironwood in the eye but more than happy to threaten Jaune with death with her gaze alone. "I suppose that I did. How time flies."

 _Thank you, Mr Arc,_ her glower seemed to say. _I will make you pay for this later._

Oops.

"I'll leave you to your date."

Glynda's glare intensified. A fork hovered up off the table and pointed itself at his eyes.

Double oops.

"I-I'll leave you to it. Whatever you're doing. Have fun!"

Slipping back into the crowd, Jaune stopped at table RWBY – who were squashed up and sharing with Pyrrha – to take their orders, and to listen to Ruby excitedly try to tell him something that he absolutely did not hear over the noise.

He nodded anyway and said "good job" which seemed to please her.

Hopefully, he hadn't signed his soul away.

He passed by a small table at the side wall where Adam and Mercury were chatting away, taking their mugs and writing down what they wanted in replacement, accepting the lien as Adam offered to pay for what was `his round`, and then moved on to hand it to Velvet as she walked by, slipping past and intentionally nudging Reese's hand away from Velvet's rear at the same time with his knee, slapping a plate of cakes and a menu down on the table at the same time.

"No harassing my staff."

"Reese," Arslan said with a put-upon groan. "If you don't stop, I'm snapping your board in two."

"What? Nooo! I'll be good. Gooder."

Jaune rolled his eyes and finally reached the sanctity of his counter. A space which no other could step behind, and finally finding a spot where he could stop, stretch his muscles and take a deep and well-earned breath.

And then the clock on the wall hit one, and the nearby offices finished for lunch.

"Oh shit!" Russel yelled as the door opened and suited men and women poured in.

/-/

"Is it over?" Jaune asked, slumped across the counter. "Is it finally over?"

"Y-Yeah." Russel was laid on his back on a table, legs dangling over the edge and face staring up toward the ceiling. "It's done. Door is locked." He groaned. "My feet are killing me."

"Try wearing heels," Velvet hissed, sat barefoot at another table, said shoes on the floor beside her. "You're lucky you get to wear flats."

"Why don't you? There's no dress code."

Her head rose and she looked to Jaune inquisitively.

He shrugged back. "I never said you _had_ to wear heels. I just assumed you wanted to since you kept coming in them. You can wear whatever you like as long as it's smart."

Velvet's forehead hit the table. "Ughhhhhh. I hate my life. I hate Coco!"

"Well, things will get easier once you all go on your missions," Jaune said, making them look up. "Thanks for telling me about those by the way. Didn't think I needed to know you'd be off for a week or more?"

"What?" Realisation was slow to dawn on a tired Russel. "Oh! Shit, I totally forgot. Whoops."

"It's fine." Jaune waved a hand. "Just let me know once you have the dates for it and I'll sort it out. I think we could all use some time off before the Vytal festival really starts. You two should get back to Beacon before it gets much later."

Velvet held her hands out towards Russel. "Carry me."

"Hell no."

"Ugh. Meanie."

"You think I can carry you across Vale? You're too heavy."

"And this is why you're still single…"

"Hey!"

Jaune ignored the two as they argued. Or bantered, he supposed. He watched them leave and made to lock the door behind them, only to pause as he noticed a suited figure approaching. He thought it was Sterling for a moment and made to lock the door and leave, but he realised a few seconds later that it was his solicitor. Or the SDC's. Unlocking the door, Jaune stepped out to meet him.

"We're actually closed for the day if you're wanting coffee. Or is this about my case."

"It is." The man raised his briefcase. "I'll only need a moment of your time."

/-/

Roman kicked his feet up onto the table as Jaune finished telling the tale. He'd have normally swept them off before Roman could mark the furniture, but he wasn't in the mood. He didn't even complain when Roman lit a cigar and puffed smoke out into the diner. The extractor units were used to dealing with copious amounts of steam, so the smoke wasn't going to set the alarms off.

"Huh. I thought you'd be happier," Roman eventually said. "You've won."

"They've agreed to settle," Jaune corrected. "And yes, I thought I'd be happier too. It's just… I don't know." He slumped down and leaned back, ignoring Neo as she raised the leftover cakes. "It feels like an anti-climax. All this stuff, all the drama, the threats and even me being attacked and beaten up by their thugs. And what, it ends with them saying sorry and paying me a bunch of money and then life goes back to normal?"

"That's life for you."

"It sucks. Where's the justice?"

"You realise you're asking a renowned criminal that, right?" Roman grinned, but when his joke didn't get the laugh he expected, he pulled his feet back down and became more serious. "Justice is a tricky word, kid. It doesn't exist like you think it does. What is justice really? What does it mean?"

"It means things are fair…"

"Yeah? So, what happens if someone kills your best friend? Is it fair if they get sent to prison for the rest of their life? Does that fix the pain? What if they're killed as well? Does that make it fair? Do either of those things really help the victim or his family?"

"No, but this is different. No one's died."

"It's all the same at the end of the day, though. The law was broken, someone suffered and now the legal system has to step in to figure out what `justice` really is. Except they don't, because people settle. It happens all the time. I think more cases, civil at least, settle out of court."

The solicitor had said as much when explaining it to him. The figure was seventy-five per cent settling out of court, which felt wrong. If the legal system wasn't going to step in to protect people, and if forgiveness could be bought outside of it, then what was the point?

Worse, his solicitor had all but instructed him to accept it. Or strongly suggested that he should, and that going to court wouldn't net him much better or really help anyone.

"It just doesn't feel like enough…"

"Really? They're paying you half a million."

"Not the money, Roman," Jaune growled. "They could have killed me! They stole my father's sword. They threatened me. They made my life hell."

"They, huh? `They` is a tough term for this. Did Café Prime make your life hell, or was it just the one guy? Your boy as good as said the guy is going to be fired. You don't survive a scandal like this. Café Prime will cut him loose to save face."

"They as good as said that. If I agree to this, Sterling will be fired. But if I don't agree, he stays. How does that even make sense!?"

"Because if you refuse to accept the settlement, they have to fight it in court," Roman explained. "And because if that happens, they'll not want to fire him because it's as good as an admission of guilt."

"The very fact they want to settle is the admission!"

"Yes, but this is just how shit works. It's business. The innocent party doesn't always win and big business gets away with a lot. Trust me, it works the same way with the Government." Roman sneered. "Just look at Mountain Glenn if you want an example of that. The little people suffer, and the law focuses on keeping society stable, not necessarily happy."

Jaune sagged.

"I know you're not going to like my advice, kid, but I'd accept this settlement. Get it over and done with."

"And let Café Prime get away with it?"

Roman shrugged.

Jaune sighed.

He wasn't sure what he'd expected from all this, but it was something more than what he had. Something more than a couple of forms, a signature and then a bunch of cash being tossed in his bank balance. He'd expected Café Prime to be crushed, to give up, admit their guilt and walk away in defeat.

That, apparently, was naïve. His solicitor had warned him what would really happen. Café Prime would hold onto their innocence and pressure him further. They would go to court. They would probably lose. He would win. Café Prime would then claim bias and appeal to a higher court. They would go to court again. He would probably win. Again.

Café Prime would appeal higher, proclaiming their innocence the whole way.

Over and over, again and again, they'd drag him through court battle after court battle until there was nowhere left to go, and even after they lost at the end, they'd release some press release about how they don't accept the findings but will obey them because they were a law-abiding company.

Café Prime wasn't a person. It was a brand.

The `Brand` would never admit its guilt even if he held a gun to the head of every person who worked there. The Brand would outlive everyone, himself included, and as such had to keep itself squeaky clean.

Settling here, they could claim that all the shit that happened was the work of Alexander Sterling, which, to be fair, it might have been. He didn't – couldn't – know for sure. Either way, they'd sweep all the blame onto him, fire him, then move on with a new family-friendly Director, maybe even a new CEO, and everyone would be forced to forgive them. After all, wasn't it ridiculous to hold a grudge towards someone who hadn't even done anything?

Café Prime would get away Scott-free whatever he did. The only thing he got to decide was how much time and money he wasted on letting them do so, and how much stress he wanted to put himself through.

It sucked.

It totally sucked.

"I don't have a choice, do I? This… It doesn't feel like the victory I wanted."

"Victory rarely does," Roman said sagely. "I should know. I used to be a huntsman back in the day. Lost most of my team to Mountain Glenn." His eyes hardened. "No. I lost _all_ of my team to Mountain Glenn. Back when the Council sealed the tunnels. Do you know what `justice` was for them?"

Jaune swallowed. "What?"

"A plaque, a speech, a lowered flag and a minute of silence. My whole fucking team dead, my friends killed, and I was supposed to be content with that? Don't make me laugh. Not to mention those responsible got away with making a `tough decision`. Tough?" Roman laughed bitterly. "I'll tell you what was tough, Jaune. Tough was fighting in those tunnels against an endless wave of Grimm. Tough was walking past the dead bodies of civilians and children who didn't make it or _hearing_ the screams and pleas of those sealed on the other sides of the rocks, followed by their dying screams as the Grimm finally caught up." Roman stabbed the cigar at him. "That was tough, even without knowing my best friends were buried under it."

Neo swept behind Roman and draped her hands over his shoulders, linking them on his chest. The contact seemed to calm him down for he closed his eyes, drew a deep breath and leaned back.

"I – I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like my pain was worse…"

"You didn't, and that's not what I'm tryin' to say." An old accent shone through as Roman ground his cigar down into an ash tray. "Point is, I eventually exposed the bastard behind it. It's part of why I became a criminal, because I lost respect for the law and saw this as the only way to show the world the truth. I stalked him, cased his home and eventually found evidence that he ordered the tunnels closed early when they _knew_ they had more time."

"What? W-Why?"

"Politics. Security." Roman shrugged. "Better safe than sorry. Or at least that's what they thought. People dying is just a statistic, and maybe even a good one when you have an overpopulation crisis. Either way, the Government knew and covered for him, lying to the people and saying they held off until the last second. I exposed that and leaked the information to the media."

"Did he go to jail?"

"Eventually. After a shitshow of court cases. I watched every one of them. Watched as the Government defended him, then abandoned him when public opinion shifted, as he claimed he was a war hero, as someone just doing their job, and then as a victim of circumstance in a terrible job with too much pressure, just a poor guy doing the best he could in a crisis." Roman laughed. "He tried everything, not that it worked. I made sure of that. He went to prison for twenty years."

Roman's smile fell.

"He hung himself in his cell two weeks later."

"Oh…" Jaune wasn't sure what to say.

"And you know, I thought I'd enjoy that more than I did. I thought I'd be happy, or at least justified. Thought it would wash away all the pain." He shook his head. "It never did. Victory was bittersweet at best. My friends were still dead, Vale was still a shithole and I was a wanted criminal. Sure, I fought on and found my justice, for a definition of the word, but it didn't satisfy me. It didn't fix anything or make me feel better. It just wasted years of my life and killed a man who was at the end of the day probably following the orders of some other asshole."

Roman drew another cigar with shaking hands and had to light it three times to get it going. His tension slipped away when he took a long puff, showing what relief Roman had eventually found for his troubles. "Let that be a lesson for you, kiddo. We're always taught that we should fight until the bitter end, but that's just what it is. A bitter end. If you really want to be happy, move on. Move on, forget about it and spend time with your girlfriend. But Miltia some flowers, get drunk and then have kinky sex on Junior's bar." Roman grinned. "I promise that'll be more fulfilling than any empty apology you might have been dreaming of."

Jaune sighed.

What was he supposed to say to that? What was he supposed to think? Roman was right, but then he'd known that from the start, hadn't he? There was just a part of him that wanted more. That wanted Café Prime to _suffer_ as he had.

Did that make him a bad person? Probably not. He just wanted revenge.

Him.

A barista.

It sounded so stupid put into context. What was a little stress and a hospital visit compared to what Roman had been through, or Cinder, or any other person? He still had both his parents unlike Yang and Ruby. He had a father who loved him unlike Weiss, and he wasn't persecuted like Blake. He didn't have team drama like Russel had or any of the other problems everyone else around him did.

And right here, in a briefcase, he had a way to end the nonsense once and for all.

"I'll sign it. Thanks for the advice, Roman."

"Heh. No problem, kid. No problem."

* * *

 **Is this the end of Cafe Prime? The arc ending not with a bang but with a whimper?**

 **We'll see.**

 **One of the things I wanted with this story was… not so much for Jaune to solve everyone's problems, but for people to kind of solve their owns. It's hard to explain, but these kinds of stories often just have the protagonist fix everything without realising it, and to a degree Jaune is doing that.**

 **But only to a degree.**

 **Jaune hasn't done anything for Mercury or Adam other than give them a place to meet and relax, and yet the two have spoken and exchanged ideals, leading to Mercury letting Ruby go when she eavesdropped on Cinder and sparking changes. People have a way of solving their own problems in life and I thought it would be interesting to see some characters handle their own issues in a different way to usual, rather than be "saved" by a main character.**

 **It's hard to explain, really. Maybe I'm just saying that Jaune isn't so much changing people's minds as giving them a place where they can sit down and expose themselves to different ideas, changing their OWN minds as a result.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 16** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	43. Chapter 43

**To those asking, I've not forgotten Pyrrha. As a championship fighter, she would naturally come back in a bigger way when there is a championship going on – i.e. the Vytal Festival. It makes sense that immediately after the boy she fancies becomes involved with someone else, she might want to avoid him for a while and sort out her feelings.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 43**

* * *

It was six in the morning and Jaune wanted to die. The sun was shining, the early morning warmth washed over him, and the air was crisp and cool against his bloodshot eyes. The sound of an occasional car passing reverberated in his skull and he had the uncomfortable taste of a dead racoon in his mouth.

"Hangover?" Velvet asked, _far too happily_.

"Ugh. Argh." Jaune's reply was muttered and filled with hate. "Ugh…"

"That's what you get for going out drinking before a work day." She tossed him a bottle of water, which he uncorked and drank half of. The other half went straight over his face. "Our with Miltia, I take it? Did you go all the way?"

"No."

He could only vaguely remember all the different aspects of his night with Miltia. There'd been dancing, drinking, kissing, and then there'd been some really sexy dancing, with her grinding up against him and him running his hands down her side. Then someone had tried to come onto her, then there'd been more making out after Miltia sent the idiot packing.

They'd been kicked out themselves by Melanie at some point; something about getting too hot and heavy for the club. After that, there had been Miltia shouting that she lived there, some drunken walking round the park, him being pushed up against a tree, more making out – some crazy thing about him trying to catch a cute squirrel to give to Miltia (and failing to do so) – and then they'd stopped at some random kebab place and stuffed their faces, before they staggered back to the Club, made out for a bit and he'd passed out on Junior's couch.

"It must have been the kebab," he hissed.

"Oh, sure. The kebab. Not the gallons of booze I can smell on your breath. Definitely the kebab."

"It was on a rotating spit," he continued, barely hearing Velvet at all. "I think… I think the man used a small chainsaw to cut some off. Why… Why did I eat that? Why did I think that was a good idea?" With bleary eyes, he looked to Velvet. "Why did I think that was a good idea?"

"Because you were blitzed."

"Wha-? Nah."

"Jaune, you sent me a text." She fished out her scroll. "Saying, and I quote, `ur the best emploeee eva. I luvv u gusy`." She put it away. "That went to both Russel and I, but also Ruby, Weiss, Cinder, your _mother_ and Miss Goodwitch."

Jaune's head connected with a table. He sat down and banged his forehead against it three times.

"So yeah, I think you were a little out of it. Are you just going to sit there or help me, by the way?"

"I'm dying."

"You're hungover. Help me."

"Aren't I your boss or something?" It was a genuine question. His head still wasn't working and if Velvet had said no, he would have accepted it. "What are we doing anyway? Why are all the tables outside?" He swayed to the side. "Why am I up so early?"

Velvet sighed the sigh of a woman who was paid to be patient but really wanted to be something else. It was the sigh of someone who worked with young children or incredibly elderly people or, in Velvet's case, someone who had the mental faculties of the former. "We are setting up tables outside because the Vytal Festival is coming up and those outdoor dining forms you put through were finally approved. Everyone is doing it," she added, gesturing to the street where other shops were either displaying wares outside or adding Vytal-specific offers and sales to their storefronts. "Also, you're awake because you work here, and because I had to make sure you were even _alive_ after last night."

"Oh." Jaune's head cocked to the side. "I don't _feel_ very alive."

Velvet sighed again, "You know what, you just sit there. I'll do everything."

Jaune's head hit table. "Love you, mom."

"Not paid enough for this…"

Ignoring Jaune, she worked to drag the tables outside on her own and set them up, a task that wasn't so much difficult as time consuming. The round tables were rolled out, the extendable legs put down and locked in place, then a cloth thrown over them, secured underneath with plastic pegs to keep it from flying off in a stiff breeze. Chairs were pushed underneath and, as the hour passed by, a few early risers – mostly staff from the neighbouring stores and shops on Walker Street – came by for their early-morning fix.

By that point, he'd recovered a little. Enough to handle the coffee himself and feel guilty for the dirty looks Velvet was shooting him. That and to nip upstairs when there was a quiet moment to have a second shower and wash off the stench of alcohol and vomit. It had been one hell of a night. He felt a little more alive coming back down the stairs, and a fresh cup of Atlesian Black helped to make him feel worse about his taste buds than the hangover, which was better. Sort of.

There were also a few more familiar faces there. "Morning, sunshine!" Yang said, a huge grin on her face. "I hear you had an interesting night."

Full denial mode. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Still grinning, Yang stuck two fingers into her mouth and whistled. The loud blast struck his eardrums and made his entire body stretch and tremble like it was a cord being squeezed. He silenced her by slamming a hand down on the table and glaring at her. It felt like his brain was bleeding. Yang sat there, unrepentant.

"This is what you deserve," Blake grumbled.

"Why? What did I do to you?"

"You don't remember? Of course you don't." The faunus glowered at him. "You called me at two in the morning to ask if you could hire a taxi. It took me _ten minutes_ to convince you I was not a taxi service, and then you call me fifteen minutes later, just as I'd gotten back to sleep. Do you know why?"

Jaune winced. "To hire a taxi?"

"No. To sing `I'm a little teacup` at the top of your lungs with your stupid girlfriend!"

Oh. Well, that was vaguely horrifying. He could only hope there weren't any more unfortunate surprises through the day. At least the other members of Team RWBY had taken it in stride, Yang finding it predictably hilarious and Weiss being polite enough to ignore it. Ruby was nowhere to be seen, which was unusual enough for him to comment on it.

"She's talking to a silver-haired boy outside. Just immediately pulled him aside and told us to go ahead, that she wanted to talk to him in private." Yang's eyes sparkled. "I am _so_ proud right now. Also livid, and likely to threaten the bastard, but proud."

Mercury…? Well, Ruby probably knew best.

Or better than him anyway.

"Cool. You girls got your mission thingie yet?"

"We get our marching orders tomorrow – a good two days before everyone else does."

"We thought to let you know," Weiss said, "Since much of your custom comes from Beacon and it's going to be all but deserted. I also wanted to say that I'm happy to do the singing I promised once we're back. How does Sunday sound?"

"Great! You sure you want to, though? You don't have to."

"It's fine. I won't mind singing for friends as much as I did for an audience of gentrified sycophants. I was also told by my father's legal company that the issue with Café Prime has been sorted once and for all."

"They settled," Jaune confirmed. "I accepted."

It had been one of the reasons he'd agreed to go out with Miltia, because despite all of Roman's good advice, there was still a selfish little part of him that wanted to slay the dragon, fight the good fight and slay Café Prime. It was a childish part that ought to be ignored, but it had still been there. He'd asked Miltia to distract him from it.

No one could say she hadn't delivered. Maybe a little too well in this case.

"That's good to hear. Hopefully, Café Prime will take the warning for what it is and learn from their mistakes. I doubt it, though."

"Wait, you mean they'll be back?"

"Not against you," Weiss said. "It's the nature of businesses to compete. They'll try other methods but should certainly be sticking to ones that carry no risk of another scandal. I wouldn't worry too much. Your customer base has proven resilient and they will be on their best behaviour now. Anything less would see them torn to shreds by public opinion and the media."

"Here's hoping."

/-/

It was no secret that Roman feared Cinder. The secret was that he didn't fear her enough to remain entirely silent and compliant, and that was a secret he hoped to never have to take to his grave. Cinder Fall was that terrifying, especially with what he'd seen her do. What he knew she could do.

But when Cinder Fall walked into his warehouse with a small white pup on a lead, which was sniffing excitedly at everything and anything, occasionally darting back to Cinder's heels to look up at her with clear adoration before seeing something else to explore, Roman wasn't sure what to think.

Well, he was.

`Cute` came to mind.

It was just that cute and Cinder didn't go in the same sentence. Unless the sentence was; That _was_ a cute orphanage that just burned down.

The deadly woman came to a halt before him. "Roman."

He tried desperately to keep his eyes above doggo height. "Cinder."

"I see that you are hard at work as usual," she said, giving him that sideways `thinking of if I should kill you or not` expression that _would_ have been more intimidating if it weren't for two tiny paws on his knee and a ball of fluff trying to get his attention.

 _I see that you are walking around with a dog,_ Roman didn't say, knowing it might get him killed.

He tried not to say it.

He really did.

"Dog."

Not his best statement ever. Not even a statement, really.

"Yes." Cinder's eyes closed slowly. "I see that you have noticed my companion. This is Snow. He is… an integral part of my plans."

He was a pet. Roman knew how to read between the lines. He was a pet who was going to masquerade as important, and if Roman suggested otherwise, she would masquerade his head as a bonfire. With remarkable realism. _Really, though, Snow? I'm not sure if I should have expected more originality from you or not. What's next, Patch or Spot?_

"I see." Roman puffed on his cigar. "It is a very fearsome beast."

"Noble," Cinder agreed, just as `Snow` turned around and weed on the floor.

"Yeah."

Roman and Cinder stared at one another, her challenging him to crack and smile. Just once. Just the _hint_ of a smile, so that she could kill him then and there. Roman, meanwhile, was busy imagining all the things she could do to kill him.

He still almost cracked.

"My team and Neo shall be leaving on a mission for Beacon," Cinder said, breaking the staring contest. "It is imperative to our cover that we attend this. Snow, unfortunately, is not best suited to such a dangerous task and will be staying with you."

"Whoah. Hang on a-"

"Believe me, Roman. You are not my preferred choice here. You will keep him safe and protected, or I shall keep your heart protected in a jar on my bedroom shelf. You will look after him as if he is your own son."

"But-"

Ignoring him again, Cinder threw a large bag of dog food at his chest, which he caught awkwardly.

"This is his kibble. You will feed it to him four times a day with water provided. He is young and cannot survive on just one or two meals, so do not forget."

"Cinder, this isn't-"

"Do not feed him scraps of leftovers of your own meals. His nutrition is carefully balanced and I will not have you endanger his health."

"What are-?"

"You shall also need to ensure he receives enough rest." Cinder pushed a bright red and white dog bed against his foot with her own. "He will only sleep in this and will need his toy." A small rubber chicken was in the bed. "Lose it and he will be upset. As will I."

"Boss-"

"As Snow is young and developing, he also needs to be challenged on an intellectual level. While I understand you have no intellect of your own, you will play – or order someone to play with him – multiple times during the day. Fetch is fine, as is tug rope." A knotted piece of robe struck him in the face and fell down into the dog bed. "Ensure he does not leave the building as he would not know what to do in traffic."

Roman waited, glaring at her. He gave her a good minute to interrupt, but when he saw she was done, sighed and spoke. "Cinder, you can't-"

"He will also need walking."

Roman growled. Snow growled back at him.

"Twice a day," Cinder said, ignoring him. "You may delegate this to an underling given your wanted status, but I expect them to be prepared to _die_ for him. He is to stay on a lead at all times and is to be praised whenever he goes potty outside."

"And if he takes a dump inside?" Roman asked sarcastically.

Cinder rolled her eyes. "Then you clean it up, fool. Use that shrivelled prune you call a brain."

 _Deep breaths,_ Roman told himself. _Count to ten. Count to ten and let it go._

Regaining some calm, Roman crossed his arms. "Is that all? Anything else you would like me, a renowned and dangerous criminal, to do? Would you perhaps care for your underwear to be washed and pressed? Should I prepare lunchboxes for you and the two brats?"

The absolute lack of a response had him cracking one eye open, only to blink the other when he realised Cinder wasn't in front of him. Or she was, but she was down on one knee, completely ignoring him and speaking to her dog instead.

"Do not adopt any poor habits from these fools. They are beneath you. Eat well and sleep well and I shall return in a matter of days. You are Snow Fall, not some ordinary mutt."

Oh right. Snowfall. Huh. That was cleverer than he'd first thought.

"Do you understand me?"

The puppy tilted its head to the side and fell back awkwardly into a sitting position. One ear fell flat while the other stayed up.

Cinder held out a hand. "Paw."

The dog immediately slapped one paw into her hand.

"Good boy."

Cinder stood, handed the lead to Roman and then fixed him with a powerful glare. Her eyes lit up briefly, burning with inhuman golden flames, before she cut them off, turned and departed. The pup tried to follow her but came to a reluctant halt when the lead went taut. It sat and whined piteously.

Roman stood there, lead in hand and a pile of dog supplies at his feet.

"What the fuck just happened?"

/-/

By the time the afternoon came around, he'd been teased by just about everyone who had found out, including Russel and even Melanie, who had made a point of taking a few embarrassing pictures the night before and showing them to Velvet and Russel. Turned out what certainly _felt_ like sexy dancing at the time and in the haze of booze, actually looked like him and Miltia were two halves of a paralysed person bumping into one another.

Everyone got a good laugh out of that, and Jaune was recovered enough to laugh with them, even if Miltia was apparently still unable to look at bright lights without feeling sick. He included a cake for her with the order for The Club's massive caffeine-intake and waved to the members of the mob in full uniform, who were utterly unable to intimidate anyone in a diner full of huntsmen and huntresses.

They were a lot busier thanks to the tables outside, which had managed to fill themselves despite expectations. It was the transfers again – this time more that he hadn't met, but whom somehow knew his name, face and life history since reaching Vale and opening _Jaune's_. It was as surreal an experience as ever. Ruby had also re-joined her team out front and was being grilled by the girls over her `illicit relationship` with the handsome transfer. He wished her well, but wasn't about to step into that conversation, no matter how desperately she looked to him for help.

"Good afternoon, Mr Arc," Ozpin greeted as Jaune came to serve his, Oobleck and Port's tea – and a selection of cakes for Port.

"It really is," Jaune replied, meaning it for the first time since he'd woken up. The sun was warm but not too hot, the shade from the tall buildings on the other side of Walker Street was delightfully cool, and the hustle and bustle of fresh visitors to Vale made the city feel alive.

"Is this your first time seeing the Vytal Festival in action?"

"Yes. I've seen it on TV but that didn't really do it justice."

"it rarely does," Oobleck interrupted, smiling with fresh excitement of his own. And an empty mug. Jaune stared at it, trying to understand how something he'd _just put down_ was now empty. "There is a certain majesty to experiencing an important part of history first-hand. The people, the feelings, the atmosphere. The scent, taste and _feel_ of the world around you. These are all things that can never be felt through a screen."

"I guess so. We get used to just seeing and hearing."

"Precisely. We have five senses and we should use them."

"Oobleck has a flowery manner of saying it, but he's not wrong," Ozpin said with a little chuckle, sipping at his own drink with a relaxed expression. "The Festival is also a chance for us to have a little relaxation. Though I heard from a certain colleague of ours that you've taken to a little fun yourself."

The three teachers laughed between themselves, adding to his misfortune. He'd half-expected Glynda to send a withering reply to his text, but it seemed she'd shared it with them instead.

Well, turnabout was fair play.

"Did Glynda say that? I'm surprised. I thought she would have been busy after her date with Ironwood."

"Oh, really?" Ozpin looked like the cat who had caught the canary. "My, Glynda never mentioned that she and James were spending the day together." He shared a wink with Oobleck and Port. "We'll have to ask her how it went when we get back to Beacon."

"You can ask," Port laughed. "I'll be hiding behind you."

"I'm surprised you have time off actually," Jaune said once they'd all finished laughing. "I mean, I know the lessons are off for now, but I'd have figured the Vytal Festival would be something that needed a lot of organisation."

"Oh, it did, Mr Arc. Believe me. Many a sleepless night was had, but they were had _months ago_. You don't leave something like this until the last moment. Up until it starts and I have to speak and mingle with dignitaries, I have some well-earned time to myself."

"And you chose to spend it out in Vale?"

"Why not? I worked to make this happen; I'd like to come and see the fruits of my labour."

Kind of like he did with his café, he supposed. There was something undeniably pleasing, fulfilling, about seeing something you created flourish. Ozpin hadn't made the Vytal Festival – not unless he was over a hundred years old – but he had a hand in organising here in Vale. The city was on the edge of its seat with anticipation. Jaune could feel it in the air.

"I guess it helps that all your students will be out for a few days. Planning a staff party?"

"We do that at the end of the year," Oobleck said, surprising Jaune. "What? Did you think we old folks sit in our offices all day? Our end-of-year party doesn't end until the last member of staff collapses in a stupor."

"Which is usually my august self," Port boasted.

" _It's not,"_ Ozpin and Oobleck mouthed.

"But as for what we'll be doing," Ozpin continued, "Nothing so delightful, I'm afraid. With the students gone, it's a prime time to have some routine repairs and maintenance done on the school. No need to worry over which corridors to close, class assignments or setting up diversion signs and thinking about how hundreds of students will cope when they're paths are cut down by a corridor. Getting that out of the way now saves us a lot of time and effort."

"It sounds complicated."

"Oh, it is. We've gotten used to it by now, however." Ozpin held up his mug to his colleagues. "Cheers, gentleman. To another successful Vytal Festival."

"Cheers!"

"Ho! Ho! Cheers!"

Things really were looking up. Jaune swept away and left the older gentleman to it, picking up a few more spent drinks, chatting with familiar faces and taking orders, all while Russel and Velvet looked after the insides. People walked by, some pointed and others took photos, reinforcing the fact that he and the café were somehow D-List Celebrities, at least online.

Ren and Nora came by to tell him of their own mission in a couple of days and even Pyrrha made a brief appearance, giving him a powerful hug and telling him to have some coffee ready for her when she got back, and to ask if he would be coming to watch them – her – compete at the tournament.

"I don't know if I'll be right there at the stadium, but I'll be watching," he said. "We'll probably set up a big projector or screen so people who can't afford or get tickets can still watch it all."

"That'll have to do. I guess you can't take a day off on the busiest day of your career. Make sure to cheer for me, though."

"I will."

Team RWBY swept in, arguing and demanding he cheer for them instead – or rather Ruby and Yang argued, while Blake rolled her eyes and Weiss acted like someone struggling to control two rabid dogs at once. Pyrrha laughed, along with everyone else with a front-row seat to the mayhem.

Just another day full of energy and laughter.

He wished that could last forever.

/-/

Nothing lasted forever, Adam knew. Everything that could be made could be unmade, and the decisions he made now would reverberate for decades, but not forever. In time, he would be forgotten – as would be everything and anything he might achieve. In the now, however, such decisions held weight.

Responsibility.

"We're ready," a White Fang member said, approaching from behind and tapping his feet on the floor to announce his presence. He sounded nervous, excited. Afraid. "The train has been loaded and the Grimm have all been pushed back. Days ahead of schedule, even. I – I can't believe how much faster your presence made it, sir."

"Adam," he said, not looking back. "I'm a `sir` to no one. And the success is your own and the result of hard work. All I provided was a little guidance."

"Still, we were struggling to even hold the Grimm back. We weren't going to finish this for days."

He knew that. It was part of the reason Cinder had asked him to go in person. In her words, to discipline his men and ensure their best efforts. No doubt she expected him to slap around with his sword, shout fire and terrify them into obedience.

That, Adam had discovered early on, was a poor way of managing people. There was a misconception about the White Fang; people thought they were hardened terrorists. Monsters in faunus guide. In truth, though some were like that, most of the White Fang were frightened and skittish faunus pushed to the edge. They were terrified of what they were doing, living in perpetual fear of being caught and yet also in situations so dire that they felt they had no choice.

He would neither begrudge them their fear or belittle it.

"Learn from my guidance, then. The Grimm can be dealt with if you are disciplined. Everything else…" Adam sighed. "It is a matter of perseverance."

"Yes." The faunus hesitated for a moment. "Um. If I may, sir, you seem… tired…"

"I have not slept well. Do not worry yourself."

"Yes sir!" The faunus jumped to attention. "I'll just go and tell the others to get ready then. We can have the train moving whenever you wish. We've even set it up to run on its own, just as you asked." The faunus saluted one last time before he closed the door behind him.

Adam let out a long sigh the moment he was gone. Years above his age weighed down on him and he felt sore and tired, as he often did nowadays. It wasn't a 9-5 job, but running a terrorist group was deceptively hard work, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Cinder had wanted White Fang on the train itself. He couldn't believe she thought he would allow it, but he thought she might have initially planned to have it happen _before_ he got to Vale, and then lie about it after. He'd seen through that, but knowing he needed her, chosen not to lash out. Instead, he'd removed the White Fang expected to stay on it and had them organise a system for the train to run on its own. A collection of White Fang masks left in the engine room would be enough to prove their involvement as Cinder desires. It was not worth losing people over.

Not for the first time since coming to Mountain Glenn, Adam missed the easy access to Jaune's coffee. He wished he could be back there in his table in the corner sampling it, but then, he wished for a lot of things in life. Peace and equality for the faunus, the end of the SDC's working practices, a return to when Blake and he had been together and happy – perhaps even a return to when he'd been a child and had thought the world was a kinder place than it was.

"You were fortunate to get out when you did, Blake," he said to the air. "Fortunate, and so very callous."

He wasn't sure how she could look herself in the mirror. Not for leaving him – that had ever been her choice – but for spitting on the graves of those she had left behind. Blake, like him, had been one of the first to push for violent change. She had been an ardent supporter and had brought many of her friends into the fold, including Ilia. Although she hadn't been a leader, she had the influence of one. She had made decisions.

People Blake knew had fought and died on those decisions.

And yet, Blake had left.

"How did you do it?" he asked the empty room. "How did you ignore all those who died trusting you and throw it all aside? How did you manage that without going mad?"

He could not. Maybe she was stronger than him, maybe she was weaker. Maybe she was just selfish and didn't care. It was impossible to say. Either way, even though he sometimes regretted the methods and lengths taken by the White Fang – even the orders he sometimes gave – he would not, could not, leave as Blake had.

After all, people had died believing in him. People have given their lives in good faith, trusting that he would continue the fight in their name. That he would not let their sacrifice be in vain. Sometimes he wasn't sure if it was honour that held him but guilt. In the end… It didn't matter. He was the face of the White Fang. The face of the SDC's brutal practices. Even if he was tired of fighting, he could not stop. And he _was_ tired. So very tired. Back when Blake had been with him, he could at least take some relief in her presence, her touch, her smile. Now? Well, there was little left but the ghosts of fallen comrades waiting for him to finish what they started.

"Damn." Adam rubbed his hands together in the cold desolation of Mountain Glenn. "I could really use a cup of coffee right now…"

/-/

Ruby hopped up and down excitedly as their mission was handed to them personally by Ozpin, a trip to Mountain Glenn to investigate unusual activity that might have been the White Fang. Ruby would have groaned at it somehow being them again – and at Blake's immediate attention – if she weren't so excited to be out there making a difference.

Though, of course, she had to keep in mind the warning from her totally-not-boyfriend.

"Hey Ruby. Aren't you going to say goodbye to your boyfriend before we go?"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Ruby shrieked, red faced.

"Look, there he is!" Yang pointed to the side, where the enigmatic and unfortunately-named Team CMEN were collecting their own task. Feeling eyes on him, Mercury Black turned and saw her. He winked in her direction.

To Ruby, that wink meant `Remember what I told you`.

To her team, it meant something along the lines of `I am Ruby's secret boyfriend; be sure to tease her`.

Ruby groaned into her hands.

Yang didn't stop with the innuendos until they landed in Mountain Glenn.

/-/

Jaune _felt_ the fact that Beacon was busy. He felt it in the loss of Velvet and Russel, both on their missions, and he felt it in the fact that _despite_ being two members of staff down, he was less busy than ever before. His balance would be feeling it too or would have but for the settlement soon to come through from Café Prime and the fact that he'd already made more profit than he'd ever expected to.

 _Jaune's_ could handle a couple of quiet days. Hell, he could do with them.

He'd made plans to take advantage of that too, taking tomorrow off to spend time with Miltia – not drinking this time, but another proper date. He'd booked a table at a restaurant, tickets to a show, planned for flowers, bought a suit and even rented them a hotel room.

The latter still had him trembling slightly, but it was a mix of nerves and embarrassment. The two of them were happy together. Why not take the next step? Miltia was making more than enough hints that she was interested, eager even, to do so.

With the huntsmen and huntresses busy, the customers in the diner had reverted back to normal people. It was an odd experience because of how unused to it he was. They weren't all muscled and lithe, bursting with unrestrained power. They didn't all dress in bright and esoteric clothing that at times just didn't make sense. They weren't all the height of fitness and physical perfection and they didn't all come in armed to the teeth. In fact, the weapon rack was empty.

Just normal, everyday folk. Elderly, middle-aged and children accompanied by their parents. He'd thought he might enjoy the change, but he found himself missing the energy, the madness. There was just something `larger than life` about huntsmen, and that was lacking now.

 _At least it's only for a couple of days. I'm not sure I could manage if it was for longer._

"Here you are, Mrs Higgins." He handed over a saucer, continuing just as she made to speak. "And yes, I made sure to reduce the sugar content in Mr Higgins' drink."

"Good lad." She patted his arm. "You're too nice sometimes. It's a shame we can't come around as much as we used to, but it's just so loud and busy nowadays. All those rowdy youths."

"Ha. Well, you know how it is."

"Oh, I'm sure. I'm sure. You do what's best for your business now, hear?" She shooed him away with a grandmotherly smile and helped her husband, who didn't have the faculties he once had, to drink his coffee.

"I wanted to see the huntsmen!" a young boy whined.

"You'll see them when the festival starts, dear."

"But I wanna see them now!"

Jaune rolled his eyes and moved back behind the counter, took out a rag and started to clean it. To think, the diner had once been like this – so quiet and dull. Something he could actually run on his own, as opposed to a place where he felt like he was being squeezed through a straw if Russel and Velvet weren't there.

How times changed. It really was a-

 _Crack._

The ground shook. Jaune looked down, unsure if it wasn't him shaking for some reason. Except, there it was again. A deep rumble he felt in the soles of his feet, and which quickly reverberated up his legs. The distant sound of a crack, followed by a constant clacking reached his ears, but he couldn't piece together what it was.

Several of the patrons had felt it also and were looking around. It had come and gone so quickly, but it had definitely been there. There was a long moment of silence as everyone waited. Listened. It came again. Stronger, this time. Some of the tables rattled and a mug slid off the edge, shattering on the floor.

"A quake?" someone muttered. "But there hasn't been one in Vale as far back as I can remember."

"Maybe it's a damaged pipe," someone else said.

Whatever it was, it was getting closer. The rumbles were back, now tangible enough that Jaune had to reach out and steady himself on the counter. It was so close, almost directly beneath him and getting closer still. One of the children cried out and Mrs Higgins had to hold onto her husband lest they both fall from their seats. Jaune would have gone to help, but a sudden tremor knocked him off his feet and onto the floor.

This was no burst water pipe. Not unless it was about to come tearing through the floor under them!

And then, with a mighty cry and a horrific `boom` something did.

Not under the store, but some distance away. Somewhere to the east. There was no mistaking the dull sound of an explosion, or the second, third and fourth that followed, shaking the city and causing dust and plaster to rain down from the ceiling.

"W-What the hell is going on?" Jaune stood and half-jogged, half-stumbled to the entrance, head help low and using every table to support himself. "Stay inside!" he barked to his customers. "Someone help Mrs Higgins."

Customers hurried to obey while he barged out the door, using his shoulder to slam it open. In the street, people were on their asses on the floor, thrown from their feet. Every single one of them was staring in the same direction, off toward the east where the sound had come from. Running out, Jaune followed their gaze, freezing as he saw a large, billowing plume of black smoke.

"A fire…?"

"An explosion." It was some other person there who answered, voice hoarse. "That… It was an explosion. Something underground." Sirens picked up in the distance, long and ominous. Jaune hadn't heard them before and had no idea what they meant.

"What are those-"

"Grimm." The man beside him took a shaky step back, eyes wide with terror. "In the city. Grimm in the city!"

The street erupted with screams and stampeding feet.

* * *

 **So, how does a civvie handle Grimm? I guess that ironically speaking this is my best fic for showing that first hand. Or how I imagine it. Goodie.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 30** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	44. Chapter 44

**Just thought I'd say that despite writing it myself "Snowfall" was an absolute fluke xD. I fully intended the pup to just be "Snow" and for it to be a sign of how unimaginative Cinder is (in a cute way; like she isn't sure how to be kind), and then I had Roman call her out on it. But we call our dogs by their name and our last name, so I had Cinder do that and it was "Snow Fall" and I was like "Huh. That's not bad…"**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 44**

* * *

Those within the diner were already beginning to panic when he returned. It would have been the safest place in the city at any other time, filled with huntsmen and huntresses, but the timing of the attack couldn't have been worse, what with Beacon deserted and most of the experienced huntsmen looking after the students on their missions.

"Make your way to the shelters!" Jaune yelled over the noise from outside. "Leave anything unimportant here. You can pick it up later."

They were already moving before he finished, and certainly hadn't needed his advice to get out of there. The bell above the door rung over and over as they rushed out and into the street, where a veritable tidal wave of civilians were fleeing in the direction of the nearest shelter. If his memory served him, it was a bunker not too far away. Maybe half a kilometre.

Not everyone had left.

"What are you doing?" He dashed over to Mr and Mrs Higgins, who were still sipping coffee and hadn't stood. "Don't you hear the sirens? You need to go."

Mrs Higgins looked up at him sadly. "You go, dear. We'll be alright."

"Are… Are you mad!? There are _Grimm_ in the city!"

"I know. I heard the sirens." Mrs Higgins offered him a weak smile. "We're old, Jaune. So old. We'll not make it to the shelters and my John isn't as young as he used to be." She touched her husband's hand, and whether it was a trick of his imagination or not, the elderly man who had never quite been there mentally curled his fingers around his wife's.

Howls echoed outside. Far away, but not far enough. His heart was beating rapidly and he looked back out the window. Almost all the crowds were gone now, and though there were no Grimm, the lack of life outside felt ominous.

"Run along now, boy," Mrs Higgins said. "Don't tarry here."

He couldn't carry them both. Hell, he couldn't carry even one of them and run away with any hope of speed. But to abandon them, even if they wanted him to? "Upstairs," he said. "You can make it up the stairs and out of sight at least. You can lock the door from within."

"Don't risk your life on us, Jaune. It's not worth it."

"I'm not going until the two of you are upstairs." His voice cracked on the last word – leaving it less a threat and more him begging for their cooperation. It was enough for the old lady however, who stepped slowly out of her seat, legs creaking as she did. He took her arm and helped her to the stairs.

"John-"

"I'll come back for him. One at a time."

"You're so reckless," she whispered. "So kind, but so reckless. There's still time for a spry lad like you to reach the shelters. We've lived our lives. Yours is just beginning."

"One step at a time," he said, ignoring her words and helping her up the steep staircase. Mrs Higgins shook her head but said no more, knowing he wouldn't be turned away. She focused instead on moving as best she could, one arm on his and one on the wall opposite. She almost tripped toward the top, but he caught her. His sudden grip made her frail arm bruise.

"It's okay," she said, steadying herself at the top. "I can do the rest. John-"

"I'll get him now."

Rushing back downstairs, Jaune knelt by Mr Higgins and wrapped one of the man's arms around his shoulder, then hoisted him up onto his feet. The elderly man continued to mutter nonsensical words as he was herded towards the stairs, but even in the depths of whatever unfortunate illness had him, he still heard the siren. "Shelters. Run. Grimm."

"I know, Mr Higgins." Jaune swallowed. "Let's just get you upstairs."

The man's wife was waiting for him at the top with a relieved expression. She took him from Jaune and helped him to one of the couches, which he settled down into. She then moved to the kitchen and set a kettle to boil, humming to herself as if there was no disaster to speak of. Jaune realised that was more to settle her and her husband's nerves than anything else. Seeing him watching, she smiled and moved over, making little shooing motions with her hands.

"Go. Go. Don't worry about us, dear. You've done more than anyone else would."

"Will you be okay?" he asked, despite knowing there was no way for any of them to know. He might return to find them dead. Slaughtered. "I-I'm sorry. If you need anything here, help yourself. And lock the door behind me. Someone has to have heard the sirens and the teachers at Beacon are still-"

"Stop worrying about others and help yourself. Go. I'll never forgive myself if something happens to you. Please, just go."

"Right." He had to tell himself there was nothing more he could do. It was still hard leaving the apartment, leaving them there without a means to defend themselves. He heard the door lock behind him however, which was a small mercy. The sirens continued to wail but the streets were now bereft of crying or screaming people. Apart from the sirens themselves, there was little to be heard.

Taking the stairs two at a time, Jaune reached the bottom and pushed into the main diner. The street outside was empty, like a ghost town. Not a single patron remained. _The shelters would still be open, right? They wouldn't lock me out._ They had to be guarded, maybe automated defence systems. Whatever the case, he had to get there and fast. Hurrying to the door, he reached for the handle and froze. There, on the edge of his vision, a large black object moved. It was down the street a way and only visible because he'd pushed up against the door, but it was bigger than a person and moved on all fours. A Grimm. There was a Grimm on Walker Street.

Ducking down below the window, Jaune caught his cry before it could slip free. He peeked over cautiously. Just the one. It was the first time he'd seen a Grimm in the flesh, but he could tell it was a Beowolf, if only because it moved like a sick parody of a dog. It was much bigger than one, as tall as him when on all fours and likely twice as tall on two. Its hind legs looked powerful and designed for running down prey.

 _Stay calm. Grimm are drawn by negative emotions like fear and anger._ Everyone was taught that; an old poem about a young boy who got lost in the woods but convinced the Grimm to leave him alone because he wasn't afraid of them. It was a cautionary tale that he'd always thought was more hopeful than real. It taught people not to freak out and make the situation worse, but would Grimm really walk away if you didn't fear them? The hundreds of thousands of people who had died over the centuries said otherwise.

If Ruby were here, she'd have killed it without a second thought. His eyes strayed to his father's sword above and behind the counter, still on its display. Fighting a Beowolf seemed like a terrible idea but he did have aura. Thanks to Cinder helping him out, he even knew how to use it.

Looking back again to make sure he wasn't being watched, Jaune crept away from the door and back around the counter, then placed a knee on top of the cabinet and climbed on. It creaked under him and he winced. There was no reaction from outside. The sirens would have drowned out any noise he made anyway. Getting on his feet, he reached the display and took the sword down, marvelling at just how heavy it was.

Crocea Mors. His father's blade. The family sword. He drew it quietly and laid the scabbard down, then gave the sword a few tentative swings. He didn't know what he was expecting; he didn't have the experience to tell if it was balanced or not, but it felt like it had weight behind it and the tip and edge were sharp. Lacking any real training on how to use it, he still knew enough to feel a little safer. _Pointy end goes in the Grimm and I keep the sword between us at all times. Easy._

The bigger question was what he was going to do. Staying might be safe if the Grimm passed the café by, but it was a death trap if the thing could sense him. On the other hand, if he tried to leave, the bell over the door would sound. Even if he muted that somehow, he'd be walking out onto a street with a Grimm that could probably run a lot faster than he could.

His heart began to beat a little faster. Jaune tried desperately to control it, knowing the Grimm would only feel that more. Fear fed on fear, growing worse. If he panicked, the Grimm would be more likely to find him – and that made him panic. Closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths and tried to count to ten and back again.

"Growf…" The sound came from outside.

Jaune hit the floor behind the counter as fast as he could and huddled against it, clutching Crocea Mors to his chest like a safety blanket. That had come from outside his store – he was sure of it. The need to look around the corner warred with a more primal part of him that wanted to just sit still and hope the danger went away. Claws scraped against class. There was some muted snorting, a huffing sound like a dog trying to sniff at some interesting scent.

 _Go away. Go away. Go away. Please…_

The bell above the door tinkled.

Jaune gritted his teeth and tried not to breathe too heavily.

The snuffling sound of the Grimm became louder. He couldn't see it, but he could tell it had pushed its head through the door. Too wide to fit through in one go, its shoulders it the doorframe and there was a cracking noise, followed by the sound of wood giving way as it forced its way through the door and into the diner.

Someone would come. Someone had to come. This was _Vale_ for crying out loud…

Except, all the huntsmen would be guarding the shelters. Wouldn't they? That was where all the civilians were.

Heavy paws padded on the tiled floor as it came into the diner proper, knocking over chairs and scraping tables across the floor. The snuffling, snorting sound continued to grow louder and he could imagine its nose pressed to the ground as it tracked some scent. His scent? Panic raced through him.

"Huf." The Grimm froze, almost like it had heard-

Shit. Fear! He was terrified. Shaking like a leaf. It could probably sense i-

Claws tore through the coffee machine above his head, shearing through metal with no difficulty as it roared at the top of its lungs. The masked visage of the monster leered down on him with dark red eyes, its maw open and oozing spit dripping from fangs as big as his fingers.

Without thinking, Jaune stabbed Crocea Mors into its face.

It felt like a good move, but the tip skittered off the bone plate of its cheek and hit its shoulder instead. Even then, it didn't pierce through the thick skin. A beefy hand caught him in the chest a second later – Jaune only just having a second to force his aura to the fore before he was sent flying across the room and smashing into his dessert display. Glass shattered and the thin metal frame gave way. He smashed into and through it, coming out on the other side covered in shards of glass and gasping for breath.

If he hadn't activated his aura, he'd be dead.

The Grimm was keen to rectify the missed opportunity. Its feet scrunched glass beneath it as it came forward and reared up onto its hind legs to climb over the unit he'd destroyed. Jaune scrambled and got to his feet, brought up the sword he'd somehow kept hold of and prepared to fight it back. When it put one foot atop the display unit, Jaune yelled and charged in, swinging down with all his strength.

The edge bit into an arm instinctively brought up to block the attack This time, it cut deep, lodging in the Beowolf's forearm. The metal instantly became stuck there and was wrenched out of his hands when the Grimm threw its wounded arm to the side and hissed. Left empty-handed and of-balance, there was no dodging the other claw as it came around. He forced his aura to his arms, which he just managed to get up in front of the attack in a boxer's guard.

It wasn't even close to blocking a punch. Both his arms folded under the sheer weight of the blow and he was swatted aside like one might an insect. His back smashed into a chair and then another, eventually coming to a halt as it wrapped around a table leg. Crying out, he fell to the base of it, whimpered and then pushed a hand down to try and stand. Pain blazed from his shoulder down to his elbow; the same arm that had already suffered a dislocated shoulder not so long ago.

He couldn't fight it. Had to ru-

A claw struck his back. "Argh!" He was knocked down again. Tears in his eyes, he tried to crawl away, only to scream as something sharp dug into his shin, piercing skin. Looking back, his eyes widened as he saw the Beowolf with its jaws clamped down on his leg. He reinforced it with aura quickly – an action that saved his leg being torn off when the beast dragged its head back and lifted him up off the floor, then shook him like a piece of meat.

"Aaahhhhhh!"

The pain. Oh, the pain. Its teeth were in his leg and every shake of its head slammed his body from one side to the other. It felt like his leg was going to be torn out its socket, and his aura was the only thing that prevented it from biting through the limb in one go.

It did nothing for the pain. He felt every chomp. Every inch the teeth dug down.

Angry at not being able to kill him so easily, the Beowolf let go, launching him into a wall so hard that the pictures hung there fell to the ground and shattered around him. He fell after, all the air driven from him. He tried to move but his body wouldn't respond. All he could do was stare, terrified, as the Beowolf lurched towards him with its mouth open. Crocea Mors was on the other side of the diner, which might as well have been the other side of the continent.

 _Please,_ he thought. _Someone save me. Anyone._

One of its paws stamped down on his chest and held him still, flat on his back. Its muzzle dug down into his stomach and he felt teeth _grate_ over his skin. His top was torn instantly but he had the presence of mind – or the raw fear necessary – to force as much aura to that region as he could. It kept him in one piece as it tried to disembowel him, but that didn't stop it trying. Finding his skin too touch to dig through, it simply kept going. With one paw holding him there, it dug and dug away, teeth driving into him over and over.

Jaune howled and lashed out with hands and feet. Striking its head, shoulders, arm – anything he could reach and which he thought might get it off. And then anything he could do at all when the pain became so raw that he couldn't see past the tears. It was like being run through a macerator but being unable to die. He felt every bite, every stab, but it never ended. Never lessened. He couldn't die as long as his aura held.

He could just experience it. Being killed.

Over and over.

"Arghhhhhhhhh!"

The bell tinkled.

Desperate and sobbing, Jaune looked back – hoping beyond all hope to see a friendly face, or just a human at all. Instead, he was greeted with the sight of another Beowolf entering – this one larger than the first. Its red eyes glared down on him and it drooled across the floor. It had been summoned by the noise, and like its brethren it wanted blood.

"No," he wept. "No, no, no!"

The second Grimm bounced over and shoved its snout into Jaune's face, breathing rancid air against his nose and mouth. The first looked up, growled and snapped, either angry at its prey being taken or just the sudden intrusion. That didn't seem to bother the newcomer, who opened its jaw and bit down on Jaune's shoulder, digging teeth into both his front and back. It tugged and he began to slide out from under the first one. At least until it, unwilling to lose its prey, bit down on his right leg.

So began the tug-of-war, with him as the rope. He didn't notice until the last moment, too busy trying to push open the jaws of the one on his shoulder and also regulate his aura around both locations at once, all while terror tore through him and he wanted to break down crying and just drop his aura entirely. At least then the pain would end.

But he was too afraid to do so. Too afraid to die.

His reward for that was pain – particularly when his body drew taut and the two pulled in different directions. "Ack!" his breath was drawn out of him as his lungs were stretched. The Grimm holding his shoulder snarled and bit down, failing to pierce his aura again but digging its teeth in so hard he could feel his bones shifting. The one on his foot had an easier grip, securing its teeth above his knee as it swung its head from side to side like a dog trying to tear a piece of meat into smaller chunks.

Screaming, Jaune kicked down with his free foot and felt around with his hands for the eyes of the one above him. He found something – an indent in the bone – and shoved both thumbs into it. Something soft gave way but rather than let go, the Grimm bit down harder and rolled onto its side, spinning Jaune's body like a corkscrew. His skin and aura couldn't give, but his body couldn't handle the sudden momentum. Something had to give. His body, his aura or his mind – the latter of which would cause him to drop his aura and be torn in two regardless.

Or, it could be his window, smashing inward as _another_ Grimm leapt in, larger than both the ones before and standing on two legs like a bear. The Ursa roared and charged forward, batting the one holding his feet aside to try and reach him.

The second it let go, the one pulling his shoulder won the argument – but obviously hadn't expected it. Like a dog suddenly stumbling back when its owner let go of a rope they were playing with, the Beowolf lurched back and over, stumbling back and letting go of him instinctively. Jaune sailed through the air and crashed through the remaining window, out onto the cobbled street where he lay in a pool of shattered glass, surrounded by the sound of sirens, his own frantic sobbing and the heavy beat of his own heart.

 _Run. Run, run, run!_

He stabbed a hand down, ignoring the sharp glass shards that dug into his palm, and tried to run.

A _fourth_ Grimm batted him down. One that had been waiting outside. As he struck the ground and looked around in shock, he realised there were more. So many more. At least ten now, ten Grimm on a street that had _none_ that many minutes before. Why? Why were they all here? Why were they conspiring to give him no options!?

The answer came immediately. Fear.

Grimm were drawn to negative emotions. Fear, anger, despair. They'd been spread out and looking for people – naturally drawn to the shelters where most of the population of Vale was, where the defence systems and huntsmen could kill them. But when the first found him, be it through luck or not, he'd been in a state of panic ever after. That had drawn the second, then the third. And as the torture continued and the pain came, his terror and agony had only become more and more pronounced, making him a beacon for every Grimm in the area.

His aura had kept him alive – but it meant nothing without the strength or training to kill the Grimm. All it did was let him be hurt for longer. Let him go through worse and worse pain and summon more and more Grimm.

No wonder average people didn't have their aura unlocked. They could doom an entire village.

The realisation dawned far too late for him, surrounded by Grimm as he was. His body was so weak he could barely move, and when he tried to crawl away regardless, a paw simply pressed down on the back of his leg and pinned him in place. Fetid breath washed over the back of his neck and head as the beast leaned down and inspected him, deciding in its bestial way how best to kill him. He pushed his aura back, but it was slow and sluggish. It couldn't last forever.

Deciding to test him, the Grimm placed its claws on the back of his neck and dragged down – gouging red lines into his back as sharpened knives were forced down skin unnaturally resilient to it. He felt every single bit of it and screamed out again, despite his best efforts not to. His answer came in howls and growls as more Grimm sought his position out, homing in on the closest and most powerful source of negativity they could find.

He was going to die.

It was a surprisingly frank thought that, but one there was no denying. He was dead. His body simply hadn't caught up and realised it yet thanks to his aura. The only consolation, scant as it was, was that his terror had to eclipse anything Mr and Mrs Higgins could produce. They would go unnoticed.

Jaune wished that comforted him more than it did. Right now, thoughts of other people were very far away. As he was rolled onto his back and forced to stare up at the tooth-filled maw of a monster leaning down towards his face, all he could think of was himself.

 _I'm going to die. I… I don't want to die._

His entire body trembling, Jaune clenched his eyes shut. His aura was already so low. He didn't want to see his death coming. Stupid as it sounded, he didn't want to _see_ his insides become his outsides. _Let it be quick,_ he begged. _Just let it be quick_.

Hot breath washed over his face.

"GET THE FUCK OFF HIM!"

A red blue struck the Beowolf over him. Claws – this time as red as blood – punctured into both its eyes and then tore free in a shower of gore. The creature roared, but the sound was drowned out by the furious scream of the woman clinging onto its chest, driving her claws up under its bone plating over and over, shanking the creature's neck ten times in half as many seconds. Miltia finished by kicking off its chest and puncturing her claws under its chin to pin its mouth shut. Already dead and fading, she pushed the beast to the left and let it fall to the ground.

"Jaune!" She rounded on him. "Oh fuck, Jaune, why are you here? What were you doing?"

"I-I-" His voice cracked. Everything hurt so much.

"Shit, don't talk. Don't say a word." Hesitating to touch him, Miltia stood up and screamed, "Melanie! Melanie, over here!"

The Grimm within the café came storming out, eyes fixed on him as if they couldn't see Miltia at all. They took a step forward but paused when Miltia slammed one heel down and held her claws out before him, blood still dripping from the tips. A foot shorter than him and half his weight, she stood before the three monsters with not a shred of fear.

"You want some?" she hissed. "He's mine! You want him, you fucking get by me!"

The Ursa was obviously willing to give it a try. It bellowed and lumbered forward on all fours.

Miltia met it halfway. Screaming just as loudly, she swept both hands from right to left, slashed its eyes out of its skull and diverted its charge at the same time. The giant beast stumbled and slipped, aided by Miltia reversing the blow and cutting the tendons on its right foreleg. It fell to its right and slid past him, dead and fading away.

The two Beowolves leapt for her but she spun on the spot, red flashes that cut the first down before it had a chance to touch her. The second earned a similar fate, dispatched with so little attention that it might as well have never challenged her in the first place.

Never had the difference between them, civilians, and the huntsmen been so clear as that moment.

And then she was on one knee beside him, one hand lifting him up as the other cupped his cheek, soft fingers touching his bruised and cut skin as her claws, still covered with blood, tickled his scalp, never once cutting or drawing him. The eyes of the girl who had just slain four Grimm were filled with naked fear, not, funnily enough, for herself.

He tried to apologise for that.

Stupid, he knew, on the verge of death as he was, but it was the only thing he could think to say to the girl he'd made cry. Sadly, the word didn't come. He managed a hacking cough instead. He wasn't surprised when a little blood bubbled up and over his chest.

Heels clacked on concrete behind as another woman appeared, this one clad in white. "Miltia-? You found him? Jaune, shit." Melanie knelt down and touched a hand to his forehead, then looked down his body. "You look like shit, Jaune." She smiled weakly for him. "Hoping my sister will nurse you back to health?"

"U-Upstairs," he croaked.

"What?"

"C-Couple. Old…" He bit back a pained cry as Miltia touched his leg. The one the Grimm had nearly torn off. His trouser leg was soaked with blood. "H-Help them…"

"You-?" Miltia closed her eyes and hissed through her teeth. "Of course you'd fucking risk your life to help someone else. You… You stupid fucking _bastard_."

This time he managed it. "S-Sorry…"

"Apology _not_ accepted. And before our date, too." Gasping, Miltia dragged his head into her neck. "You want to apologise to me, you better be ready to _beg_ for my forgiveness. But that means you need to recover. Okay? You die now and I'll never forgive you."

"I'll… get started… on that…"

Up above them, the roar of Bullheads tearing through the sky covered Vale, followed by the dull, rumbling thunder of an Atlesian battleship slowly appearing over the buildings. Gunfire tore through the sirens as the Grimm were scythed down en masse.

 _Better late than never…_

Darkness claimed him.

/-/

Glass crunched under her heels as she walked through the ruined streets of Vale. The city was still alive, rescued by Atlas, but great damage had been done. The Grimm had run amok in some of the busiest districts, and with the huntsmen and huntresses absent, the response to it had been slow. Hundreds had fallen, and people were asking questions of Beacon and the Council. Questions of how this had been allowed to happen and why the response was so slow. Questions which had forced Atlas to step in and take a more active role in the Vytal Festival.

Careful not to let the small bundle of white fluff step on any of the glass, she skirted around the backs of the streets, stooping to pick him up and carry him occasionally. He accepted it gracefully, every now and then leaning back to lick her chin. A reminder of his raw joy on seeing her return. He'd not left her side since.

It was the first time anyone had ever shown joy to her appearance. Real joy, that was. Not ambition, lust, acceptance or something in between, but the absolute and unconditional love that Cinder realised could not be faked.

Cinder had smiled, if only for a moment.

Taking him out for a walk was an excuse both for exercise and some time alone with him. He deserved it for being so brave in her absence, and for surviving Roman's constant ineptitude. That, and she felt a certain someone deserved to meet Snowfall. She had been wondering if the little puppy would recall him. It would be endearing – she almost said cute but stopped herself – to find out.

Turning onto Walker Street, Cinder's smile slipped from her face as she took in the devastation. Her pace quickened, not into a jog but a fast walk that could not quite mask her confusion. The strike should not have happened here. Not yet. Already, people were moving away the rubble and cleaning up the damage. Cinder made her way through them, refusing to acknowledge anyone who warned her to stop or that the area was not yet safe.

 _Jaune's_ appeared before her.

Dark, broken, empty. The windows had all been smashed and the door was broken wide open, evidence that something too large for it had forced its way through. Cinder stared, face remarkably calm. Grimm would not force their way into a building that had no people in it. Her eyes took in the display behind the broken and shattered counter. The sword was missing.

Sensing some distress shown neither on her face nor in any other way, Snowfall stood on two feet and placed his forepaws on her knee. He whined, concerned eyes looking up at his beloved master. When she didn't respond, he tried again, pushing with his forelegs and whining.

Slowly, shakily, Cinder knelt and placed a hand atop his head. Rather than cuddle and accept a belly rub, he licked furiously at her fingers in some misplaced attempt to calm her. Or, as only he seemed to know, one not quite so misplaced at all. Some dried blood was splattered by the doorway and her fingers touched it, shaking up the dried flakes that blew away in the faint breeze. Human blood.

" _You always look like you have a purpose, but I can't say you ever look happy. Not truly happy…"_

Cinder let out a shuddering sigh, stood and walked away, leading Snowfall with her.

Something unpleasant burned in her chest.

* * *

 **Oh my. Well, this was quite the brutal chapter I suppose. But hey, this is a slice of life story. What gives? I guess I just wanted to take that seriously. Not "slice" per se – though that fits. More the idea that this is the world of Remnant that Rooster Teeth created. A world where people can and are killed randomly. That's not to say Jaune is dead – he isn't – but the point is that life could end at any moment.**

 **I've always seen people argue why everyone doesn't just have their aura unlocked. Why not give it to every person? Maybe this chapter takes a stab at suggesting a reason. What is increased endurance to someone who can't hope to fight back against a monster? It's just dragging the pain out. And with Grimm being drawn by those feelings, it would make the situation even worse.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 14** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	45. Chapter 45

**Service with a- oh look, there's a Beowolf eating someone alive. Yeah, the story took a dark twist last chapter lol. But hey, it's `slice of life` and a slice of life in a world where Grimm exist is going to be different to a slice of life in ours.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 45**

* * *

It was the constant beeping that woke him up. Slow and steady, it permeated through the thick fog clouding his mind and stirred him from an uncomfortable slumber. What followed was the chemical tang of bleach and disinfectant, then the muffled groans and sounds – along with the quiet weeping.

Jaune woke to a nightmare of sterilised white walls, pale blue curtains and electrical equipment.

The hospital ward was packed full of beds, some toe to toe and others crammed in by the corners. Jaune was closest to a wall and that afforded him some small privacy, but that was all. There was a woman in a bed not one foot to his left and her heart monitor was the most fitful thing he'd ever seen, beeping erratically. Weakly.

Nurses and doctors moved around the ward in a mad rush, their faces worn and with bags under their eyes. They would lean on the bed of every patient they saw to and catch their breath. Some swayed in the midst of their work and one nurse would have fallen if not for another catching him by the shoulder.

"E-Excuse me," Jaune croaked to one passing by.

The woman glanced his way and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm busy." She hurried several beds down, to a person who was moaning in pain. "Time for your painkillers, Mrs Auber."

"I don't like them," a tired and frail voice replied. "They make my head feel funny."

"You need them. Here. Close your eyes and I'll see it done. You won't feel a thing."

The loud whimper told otherwise. Jaune leaned back into the pillow, eyes scanning his immediate surroundings. Normally in a hospital ward there would have been a trolley or table next to one's bed, but there wasn't here. There was nothing to allow for personal belongings and he felt like a sardine trapped in a can.

When the nurse ran by again, eyes clenched shut and breathing heavily, Jaune didn't dare interrupt her. No one came to see to him. No one offered him water or an explanation, and he didn't dare ask for one. His throat raw, he laid back and stared up at the ceiling, wishing he could be anywhere else.

A long, flat tone rang from the bed of the woman beside him.

/-/

Come the morning, he was deemed healthy enough to leave.

Not healthy – not even close – but the hospitals were desperate to clear beds and get people into wards, and to create space before infection could set in. Atlas' battleships had already opened their med bays, while medics from the military were being shuttled to Vale from Atlas. Apparently, even Beacon had offered its assistance, moving its limited medical staff into the city.

He received little care from the nurses or doctors bar a cursory warning to not exert himself and to only call back in if there was an emergency. The woman who said it must have been twenty at best, likely an intern. She'd looked on the verge of passing out herself and the obvious signs of red around her eyes told him she'd been crying before his meeting. She was half-hearted but he didn't question it. Jaune nodded, smiled weakly and thanked her for her work.

Fifteen minutes later, he was in a wheelchair being pushed out into the main lobby. The nurse who did it left him there with a quick apology and a beep from her pager. Jaune heard the words `immediately` and let the man go. Sat in the foyer unable to move, he felt even more lost than he had in the ward.

A pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders.

"Guess who."

His shoulders relaxed.

Miltia ruined the game before it could begin by sliding around to his side and planting a kiss on his cheek. She was pale and had foregone her makeup for once. He didn't think she'd slept well, but then neither had he. Too many people crying. Too many dying. For her, he managed a smile.

"Hey." His voice came out croaky.

"You sound awful. Do you need a drink?" Before he could answer, she was pushing him to a vending machine and fumbling with her purse. Lien spilled out onto the floor and she swore viciously, snatching up the biggest and leaving the rest there. Her hand trembled and it took three times to get the lien in the slot. "Grape. Right? I know you like grape."

He nodded. The machine _ka-chunked_ and spat out a can. He tried to reach for it but Miltia beat him there, drawing it out and snapping it open. It fizzed and spat suds at her.

"Son of a bitch!" She swiped an arm to ward off some sugary liquid then offered the can to him. "Here. Do you need help drinking?"

"N-No." He had to take it in both hands, but he could hold it. It was ice cold and he simply clung to it for a moment, feeling that and being grateful for the fact he could. "Thanks," he added, drinking heavily. It was sugary sweet and full of bubbles. Unhealthy and stodgy.

It almost made him cry.

"You're moving in with me and Melanie," she said. "Your place… It's not totalled, but it's not fit to live in. Not to mention the stairs..." She gestured to his wheelchair. "Junior set a room aside. Everyone's looking forward to seeing you again."

"This is only for a few days," he said. "I'll be able to walk again soon."

"Yeah well, let's not rush it. Okay? Take your time."

Miltia wheeled him out of the hospital's doors, pulling them aside as an ambulance came by and a gurney was wheeled out and past them. The exterior of the hospital resembled an airport, with what felt like a hundred or more people waiting anxiously for loved ones to land from a flight. Children were held back by parents, while signs requested a limit of one guest per patient to the hospital itself, with a written apology for any distress caused.

"Looks bad," he said, grateful to be away from the hospital and guilty for feeling that way. The people there had done their best t look after him. They were working hard in a crisis.

"It is," Miltia said, "But it's also not as bad as it looks."

He tried to crane his neck back but couldn't quite do it. She swatted him gently with her hand and told him to look ahead, even if that was meaningless. It wasn't like he was driving this thing. _She's just worried_ , he told himself.

"The death toll is over three hundred with many more injured. It's a tragedy make no mistake, but it's nothing compared to what happened at Mountain Glenn." She sighed and kept pushing him. "I know that's not much of an excuse but there were Grimm loose in the city. It could have been ten times worse. Beacon moved quickly – as best it could – but it was Atlas that really saved the day."

"I'll have to thank Ironwood."

"Yeah. Whole city is busy doing that. Anyway, most of the city is recovering but the hospitals are obviously still packed. That's why it looks worse than it is."

"What about Mrs Higgins and her husband?"

"Who-? Oh, the old folks you risked your fucking life for." Miltia tried to stay calm but there was a tremor in her voice. The hands on the handles of his wheelchair shook. "They're fine. A little spooked, but alive and well. They didn't even see a Grimm thanks to a certain hero." She bit off the last word, spitting the O. "Your diner isn't as fucked as it probably looked either. Your display units are wrecked, and your front door is big enough for a Beowolf, but it was all insured. Russel checked."

"Russel and Velvet are back?"

"Course. The second this shit went down, all teams that could be were recalled. They wanted to visit," she said. "They all did. But the hospital can't handle that many people right now. Russel and Velvet have been cleaning your place up. Turns out your insurance covered Grimm attack. Heh, I bet they never expected to have to pay out on that in Vale."

"If they do pay," he said. "They held off the last time."

"Weiss called them."

"Oh." That was all he needed to say. Presumably, the money was already in the bank. "I guess I can get back to work pretty soon then."

"No." Miltia hissed the word. "You're having some rest if I have to fucking handcuff you to a bed."

Jaune winced. "I – I'm sorry."

"You're not. That's what makes this so fucking annoying. Can you tell me if it happened again that you'd abandon some old coots and run to the shelters? Or would you stand behind like a hero and hold the line to protect them?"

He couldn't.

She knew it.

The rest of the journey to the Club was made in silence.

/-/

Junior's place had come out remarkable unscathed. Went to show what a difference it made to have huntress-level employees on staff. That or they'd gone to the shelters in a timely fashion and as such the Club had been of no interest whatsoever to the Grimm. There were some of Junior's gangers stationed outside and they pointed and waved to him as he approached. He managed a smile back.

"Jaune, you feeling okay?"

"Go in, man. You need a drink? Food?"

"I'm better and yes, food would be great but I'm sure Junior will handle it. You didn't have to fight any Grimm, did you?"

"Us?" the ganger on the left laughed. "Nah, man. We helped hold a shelter, but the turrets did most of the work. Only one who decided to tussle with one of them was you!"

"If you'll excuse is," Miltia gritted, pushing him through. The gangers spared him sympathetic looks – more for Miltia than his injuries, he expected. Inside, it was dim. Not dark – the lights were on – but since it was around midday, the Club wasn't open for business. There were people moving around but no one he recognised.

At least until Junior came around the corner, chatting with Roman.

They saw him in unison.

"Kid!"

"Jaune."

Roman and Junior exchanged looks, then shrugged and came over, forgetting whatever discussion they'd been having. Roman got there first and grinned around a cigar, snuffing it out in a rare moment of kindness. "Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in. You're lucky you got out today. I've a feeling Neo was going to go in and _drag_ you out otherwise."

"How are you doing?" Junior asked. "Are your injuries recovered?"

"Mostly. I've got stiches in my leg." He could feel them pull when he moved, hence why he'd been confined to a wheelchair. He _could_ technically walk, albeit weakly. It was just that they didn't want him aggravating the injury. "My aura took the brunt of the damage. Kept me alive."

Miltia's teeth ground together behind him.

"Good to hear it," Junior said, looking over his shoulder. "But maybe you should not mention the whole nearly dying part, yeah? Focus on getting better. I've had a room made up for you. Across from mine. You're a guest here now. You need anything – _anything_ – you let me or one of my boys know."

"My sword-"

"In your room," Junior interrupted. "Melanie picked it up."

Jaune smiled. "I'd kill for a meal."

"No problem. Any preferences?"

"Something greasy. The unhealthier, the better."

Junior laughed. "That's more like it! Oi, someone go get some takeout."

"What kind?" someone yelled back. "And how much?"

Jaune opened his mouth but Junior beat him to it. "Bit of everything. And as much as you can carry. Not like we won't finish off whatever Jaune can't eat. Get some for the girls, too. You know what they like."

A pair of men in suits ran out to handle that while other brought plates and cutlery. Jaune wasn't sure what to make of it and looked to Roman for help. As ever, Roman just grinned and tipped his hat. "Enjoy it while it lasts, kiddo, and don't question it. That's my advice." He stepped away. "I'll leave you all to it. Miltia, I'm sure you'll be giving Jaune a little _friendly advice_ later. Make sure to drop a little for me as well. Okay?"

"Oh, I will," Miltia growled.

Jaune was wheeled up to an elevator. As a business spanning more than one floor, Junior had to have wheelchair access, and considering he dealt with heavy barrels of alcohol at times, an elevator made sense. Going up, he was wheeled out onto the third floor and through an employee-only door with a code lock on. That led to a corridor where the staff and members of Junior's gang slept, those that chose to live at the Club.

They came to a room set aside for him. It even had his name scribbled on a plaque hanging from the door. Miltia unlocked it and pushed him inside. Melanie was already there, duster in hand. She looked back at them and waved.

"Hey you."

"Hey." He waved back. "Cleaning, you? I wouldn't have thought it."

"Pft. Don't get used to it. And don't expect it from my sister either. This place hasn't been used for a year and a half though. Not much point you coming out a hospital to choke on dust and cobwebs."

The room was simple enough. A large double bed that looked comfortable with a wooden dresser on either side. Wall-mounted lamps on either side hung over them and there was a pot of flowers on the left. The room also had a dresser and a wardrobe set into the wall, along with a long chest of drawers opposite the bed with a television on. Next to that, along the wooden top, numerous brightly coloured cards stood. Easily fifty. Maybe more. Melanie noticed him looking at those.

"Everyone wanted to visit you at the hospital, but it wasn't allowed. Nearly started a riot with that announcement. You wouldn't believe how many bouquets of flowers you received. Russel and Velvet gave them out to the injured – turned into a PR move even though they were just trying to get rid of them before your diner turned into a greenhouse. We collected the cards from your closer friends for here. There are more at your place. General well-wishers and the like."

He wheeled himself over and picked one up, looking inside. It was from Team RWBY, each of them writing a message – Ruby's far longer than anyone else's and taking up an entire one side of it. He smiled and put it down, reaching for another. Velvet and Russel. Another was from Pyrrha, then one from Nora and Ren. There was even one from Ozpin, resting atop a box of chocolates. Half of those were missing. He looked to Melanie.

"Worked up an appetite cleaning and they were just sat there."

"Fat bitch," Miltia growled. "They were for him!"

"Chocolate is bad for you. I was looking out for his health."

Jaune laughed and put the card back. There were more, far more, but he'd read through them later. Each and every one. He drew a breath and let it go – and was surprised to find the last of his tension slip away. Waking up alone in that hospital, having no one there when he did… It was easy to think the worst in a place like that.

These colourful reminders that people _had_ been thinking about him helped more than he'd have ever though they would. Just cheap bits of card, but the fact they'd cared enough to send them. It made all the difference.

If Miltia or Melanie noticed his tears, they didn't call him out on them.

"Things will get better," Melanie said. "You'll see. Russel and Velvet are fixing the shop up, medical teams are coming in from Atlas and Ironwood is taking over security for the Vytal Festival. Your parents are on their way here, by the way."

"What!?" He looked up.

"What do you mean, _what_? You nearly died. You think they weren't going to want to come?" Melanie rolled her eyes. "You're lucky it was me who talked to them and not Miltia or _Roman_ of all people. I told them where they could find you and said they were free to check up on you. They'll be here in a day or two."

"Oh hell…" His head fell into his hands. "Just what I need. Nine people fussing around me."

"They're leaving your sisters behind. I managed to convince them that many people would just make it worse."

It was a small mercy. They'd still fuss over him and somehow find a way to blame themselves for this happening; they always did. Hopefully he'd be back on his feet by then, though with the way Miltia was hovering nearby, ready to step in if he so much as needed to wave a hand, he wasn't confident.

"You think that's bad, wait until tomorrow. We've not told your pals you got dispatched yet. Figured we could have you to ourselves for one afternoon. How often you think they'll be visiting tomorrow? Every hour? Evert ten minutes…? I'm betting on every half hour myself."

"Ha. Maybe." He leaned back in the wheelchair. "Thanks for putting them off for one day. I _want_ to see them but… I don't know. I feel like I'm not strong enough for that right now." Emotionally as much as physically. He needed a rest. One that wouldn't be in a bed squashed up against people in constant distress.

Melanie must have read that in his face because she took a step back. "You should get a nap. You'll feel better after."

"I'll make sure he does," Miltia said. The sisters shared a long look with lines of subtext he couldn't hope to read into. Melanie nodded and backed away, content with whatever had been decided between them.

"You're not going to follow me into the bathroom when I need the toilet, are you?"

"Do you need it?" Miltia asked, deadly serious.

He shook his head.

"Good. Stay still." She rolled his wheelchair over to the bed, then fiddled with something which rose it up, helping him stand. "Don't," she hissed when he tried to do so. "For fuck's sake, let someone else do the work for once in your life." She took him by the shoulder and arm and shifted him to the side so that he was sat on the bed, then knelt and lifted his feet up until he was laid flat.

At least she let him shimmy his way into the middle. What he didn't expect was for her to crawl up after him and plop down on his right-hand side, one arm over his chest as she snuggled up against him. Her head and her face nestled into the crook of his neck.

His heart beat a little faster. "Miltia…?"

"Everyone is expecting me to kick your ass for what you did."

"Ah…"

"I want to," she said, hissing. "I want to scream and shout at you – and believe me, the only thing _stopping_ me is the fact it won't help right now. I'm not angry at you, Jaune, I'm _furious_."

"Sorry…"

"Yeah, I bet. Won't stop you doing the same thing next time. Will it?" She sighed. "I had this whole speech planned out. About how you're a civilian and that having a sword and aura doesn't change that. There's a reason normal people don't all have their aura unlocked; it's because it doesn't change a damn thing, and usually makes it worse. You should have been the first to the shelters. Do you know what it was like finding you? You know what it was like to see someone you care for being eaten a-fucking-live by the Grimm?"

"I wasn't-"

"It looked like it!" she snapped. "I thought you were _dead_! I thought I'd arrived in time to see my boyfriend being _torn asunder_ by the Grimm. Do you-?" She laughed. "No, of course you don't know what that feels like. You've never had to see or feel it. What happened to you, I bet that hurt but I'd rather go through that _ten times_ than feel that crushing horror I felt when I was sure you were dead. My heart nearly exploded in my chest. I wanted to die."

"Miltia…" The words were choked. He brought an arm around her, fighting back his tears. He could feel hers on his neck and that only made it worse. "I-" He what? Was sorry? Sorry for hurting her, yes, but not sorry for what he'd done.

Selfish. He was so selfish. Was his own pride as a `good person` worth more than the happiness of someone he cared for? Someone he might even love? It shouldn't. This was exactly what his father had warned him of – of huntsmen and huntresses who saw themselves as heroes and who fought the good fight, died for it and then left behind shattered families.

"Teach me to fight," he whispered instead.

Miltia stiffened against him. "It won't make a difference," she said. "You'll never be a huntsman."

"I'm not asking to be. Just… If that ever happens again, I don't want to not be able to do anything. I don't want you to feel like this again. Teach me to fight; just enough that I can spare you this in future."

With a quiet sound, Miltia nuzzled her lips against his neck.

"When you're better."

He kissed her forehead. "Thank you."

They lay there together, the bed warm and her body warmer. It was so different to the hospital that he couldn't bring himself to let go of her, even if it couldn't have been the most comfortable position for her to sleep in.

"You know," she mumbled against his neck. "We _could_ bang."

His cheeks turned red. "Miltia!"

"I'm just saying. You mentioned flowers the last time. There's been a whole lot of flowers. I'd say it counts."

"I can barely move my legs!"

"So? Most guys would jump at the chance to just lay there and let the woman do all the work."

"Yeah well, I guess I'm not most guys."

Miltia giggled.

/-/

"What were you thinking!?"

Ruby was crying.

Melanie's words may have well proven prophetic for no sooner had he been fed breakfast, with Junior thankfully helping him to the bathroom after, had he come down the elevator to find a horde of well-wishers waiting for him. There was Team RWBY, Russel and Velvet. Nora and Ren, Coco, Pyrrha and even Penny waiting for him.

Also, Ruby was crying.

That was somehow worse than being in a wheelchair.

He looked to Miltia for help, but she shot him a smirk and a nod, as if saying he should handle it himself since he'd caused it. Everyone else was content to do the same, watching with scowls, crossed arms and expressions mixed between relief at seeing him in one piece and anger for having to see him like this at all.

There was sympathy of course, but there was always something beneath it. Frustration born of concern, of fear at finding out he'd been badly hurt, and nights spent wondering if he would be okay. It was as touching as it was humbling.

"I didn't really have time to think. I couldn't just leave them there, could I?"

"Yes!" Ruby said, shocking him.

"B-But you'd never-"

"I'm a huntress! I'd not leave them because the Grimm are _nothing_ to me. That's like – It's like saying you wouldn't leave some baby drowning in a vat of coffee." The analogy was a poor one. It was obvious Ruby was struggling to speak.

"What Ruby means is that there has to be context," Weiss said, placing a hand on her partner's shoulder while fixing him with a stern gaze. "While your actions were born of kindness and were, in themselves, heroic, they were also reckless."

"Doesn't that balance them out?"

"No." Blake this time. "You did something great and saved the lives of two people. Good job. We'll not pretend that isn't important and you _should_ feel good about yourself for doing so. But that also doesn't mean you get off on being an idiot."

"You get the good with the bad," Yang agreed. "So yeah, good job on saving them. That's your good. Now you're dealing with all of us – who came home to panicked texts and calls that you might be dead after being savaged by Grimm."

Jaune flinched.

"You'll forgive us if we're just a little upset."

Everyone agreed. There were nods from Pyrrha and Ren, even an unusually sombre one from Nora. Oh, there was happiness there too – they were glad to see him. He knew the well-wishes would come in time, but whether they'd planned it or not, and they probably had while he'd been eating, they'd all decided to unite and give him the lecture first.

 _I guess I deserve this._

"Alright." He sighed and fell back. "I'd say I'm sorry but Miltia already told me it's an empty apology if I don't actually regret what I did. What I _can_ promise is that I'll do better next time. I'll be faster and I won't try and fight the Grimm if there's even a small chance of getting away. There wasn't, though. The sirens – they had like _three or four minutes_ before the Grimm were there. It wasn't like I stopped to lock up or collect my favourite jacket."

"The Grimm were delivered directly into the city," Pyrrha said. "Team RWBY-" There was a grimace from the four girls of said team. "Something happened on their mission. They couldn't have stopped it; the attack came literally the same day they arrived in Mountain Glenn. Either way, this was an anomaly. Normally, you'd have fifteen minutes or more to find a shelter."

More than enough time to put the Higgins away and run. If only he'd been granted that time, none of this would have happened. Then again, if that were the case then the hundreds dead and thousands injured would probably be a lot less as well.

"I guess we can let you off with a warning this time," Nora said. "You still should have run, though."

"I know." Jaune bowed his head. "I'm sorry for worrying you all if nothing else. I guarantee this won't happen again. Not like this. I'll be better prepared. I might even try and get a basement made with a reinforced door."

"Not a bad idea." Miltia said. "Ask Junior; he'll hook you up."

"Does that mean the guilt tripping is over? Ow!" He winced as Ruby poked his side angrily. Though she'd gotten herself under control, it was clear she hadn't yet forgiven him for being so stupid. "I'll do better," he said.

"Don't do anything. Leave the Grimm to us huntsmen. You're not working," she decided suddenly.

"He isn't," Miltia, Russel and Velvet said as one. Russel and Velvet bowed to Miltia, who continued. "We're keeping an eye on him. Probably running shifts. If you want to take any time babysitting him through the day, let me know."

"I'm not a child…"

"We'll help," Ruby said instantly.

"We?" Weiss asked. "Sheesh. But yes, I suppose we can offer assistance when we're not in lessons."

"Velvet and I will keep the diner going once it's repaired. He can make an appearance, but he's not working. Someone should be there in case he even tries. Pyrrha, can you keep an eye on him?"

"Of course. If that is okay with Miltia?"

With Miltia…?

"Fine with me," his girlfriend said. "Long as no one gets the wrong idea. We'll make a rota. He needs plenty of sunshine and liquids."

"What am I, a house plant?"

"Yes!" almost half of them said at once.

"Plants should be seen and not heard," Yang added. "Just face it, Jaune, you're going to be looked after until you're better. You can either whine about that and be ignored or suck it up and enjoy all the attention from us sexy girls. And Russel."

"Hey!" Nora said. "What about Ren?"

"He counts as a sexy girl."

"Huh. Fair."

Ren rolled his eyes and didn't bother to argue.

Russel grinned. "Now I just feel left out. Yang's got a point though, boss. Not to mention your parents are coming down. Consider it a week off work. Have fun, go out with your girlfriend and lose your virginity. It's taking you long enough."

"RUSSEL!"

"I know, right?" Miltia huffed.

"Just have a break," he finished. "The diner isn't going to fall to pieces without you, and no one is going to begrudge you the time to recover. You can come down and see how we're doing but we'll be fine. We know how to run the place."

Jaune looked to Velvet, who nodded her head, firm in her agreement and ready to fight him if he tried to convince her otherwise. They all looked like that – like they'd come expecting a fight from him. And in truth, wasn't that exactly what he was giving? With a heavy sigh, he leant back into the wheelchair. Maybe they were right. Maybe he needed this.

"Fine…"

Across the room, their faces lit up.

"You all win," he said. "And I'm sorry again for worrying you all. I'm glad to be out of the hospital too." He offered Ruby a one-armed hug which she accepted happily. "It's good to see you all again as well. Now that I've finally surrendered, can we skip the `Jaune is an idiot` part of this and move onto something better?"

It was as if he'd opened the floodgates. Everyone rushed in talking at once, gesticulating wildly and chattering about every little thing he'd missed – from what was going on at the diner to the people asking to visit him, Beacon and more. Everyone seemed determined to fill his head with the news of the last few days in as many seconds and no one had the patience to wait. Surrounded by so many people talking at once, he'd have normally been overwhelmed.

This time, he could only smile.

/-/

"How is he?"

"Alive," Roman said, puffing on his cigar and choosing not to look at the woman who had asked. He knew that to do so would be to see a rare moment of weakness, and that the act might prove detrimental to his long-term survival. "Hurt, weak and no doubt traumatised. He hides it well but there's a wariness to him. He's rattled."

"PTSD?"

"Too early to say by far. Might just be on edge. After what happened, you can't blame him."

"No, I can't." The fabric of Cinder's dress rustled. She swallowed something. It was not the first time she had drunk around him, but it was the first time did so greedily. He heard every gulp. "The plan continues as normal."

"Does it?"

"Are you questioning me?"

"No." He couldn't afford to, much as he might have liked to. "I'm just surprised."

"I don't see why. The assault went better than expected and Adam escaped. Our people are in position and Ironwood has been put in charge of security, affording us unparalleled access to his robotic units. No one can stop us."

"I agree," Roman said. "Certainly not a civilian."

Cinder remained silent.

He pushed his luck. "Any who tried would be gunned down mercilessly. That virus isn't designed to leave them merciful. Even if they surrendered, they'd be killed to a man."

"Are you having second thoughts, Roman?"

"My thoughts are the same as they've ever been. I should be asking _you_ that question."

Her breath hitched. "Be careful what lines you cross."

"My apologies, then." He puffed on his cigar. "I've always found that metaphor a little unfitting." He knew he had her attention because he heard her stop drinking. "The thing about lines, in the sand or otherwise, is that once you cross over them, you can step back again without any problems. That's not the case here."

"Do you take me for a fool, Roman? I'm well aware of the consequences of my actions."

"Oh, I know you are. You know who is going to die and who isn't. It's not your awareness I'm calling into question. More your enthusiasm. Or your lack thereof."

Cinder's hand stilled on her puppy's back. The small thing looked up at her, confused.

With a heavy breath, she caressed him again.

"You play a dangerous game in questioning me, Roman."

"I'm playing a dangerous game either way. I just feel sorry for all those people who don't get a chance to pull out of the game. At least with what I do, someone benefits. Namely me. I'm not sure who benefits from your plan anymore." Roman walked past her. "Because it's obviously not you."

He stopped by the door, listening to her heavy breaths. That she hadn't killed him already was a miracle; he didn't dare push any further.

"I'll go talk with Adam. I think he's out drinking with Mercury."

"Would you say he is the same as me?" Cinder asked. "Adam? He hardly seems to enjoy what he does either."

"True. I guess the difference is that he measures it against the benefits. Necessity, at least in his mind. But what do I know of idealistic terrorists? I'm just a man trying to survive in the middle of a plot to overthrow a Kingdom. The diner will be up again in a day or two from what I've heard. You might want to visit."

Cinder's shoulders stiffened. "Why should I?"

"Dunno. Just figured we might as well enjoy it before it's gone for good. I bet the rewards will be worth it though," he said, voice thick with sarcasm. "I can't wait for all those amazing things we're getting for this. What were those things again? My memory fails me."

"Leave."

Roman tipped his hat.

"As you command."

* * *

 **A bit of a dark chapter again - though with hope at the end. Of a sort. I know some people may be upset that Jaune took any blame at all. He lived, didn't he? And he saved two people's lives. I think when reading fiction it's easy to have a very objective view and just say "Oh well, the ends justified the means. No one died and he lived, so why are these idiots acting like it's his fault?"**

 **Well, because Jaune placed himself in danger. Because he was reckless.**

 **Because everyone - including Mrs Higgins - expected and told him to run to the shelters, but Jaune placed his "morals" as being more important than the feelings of his friends. Morals are good and important, I agree, but I think some people overvalue them. Surely, if you really love someone, you should think of them before satisfying your own goals.**

 **I'm not saying running into a burning building to save a child is wrong; more that jumping into a shark tank where someone is being killed when you have NO experience in dealing with sharks or wild animals is bad, and that survive or not you should expect to be very severely told off by the people around you.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 28** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	46. Chapter 46

**Here we go**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 46**

* * *

"How do I look?"

"Like a cripple."

"Miltia!" Jaune glowered back over his shoulder, tugging on the collar of his shirt. "I'm serious."

"So am I. You're wheelchair bound. What do you want?" Miltia let out a quiet sigh as she kept hold of the handles to his chair, making sure they weren't separated in the crowd waiting outside Vale's train station. "And what right do you have to be so nervous anyway? I'm the one meeting your parents. I should be the one fussing over my appearance."

"Why aren't you?"

"Uh? Because I'm absolutely gorgeous?"

There was a hint there. Jaune would never call himself savvy with women, but he caught that one. Maybe it was just how blunt Miltia was that made her gel with him. "You are."

"Thanks, babe." She leaned down to kiss his cheek. "Now sit there, look pretty and let me worry about not dropping curses left and right in front of your parents. Don't want to intimidate your folks into thinking I'm too scary for little old you."

Jaune laughed nervously. "I'm not sure you need worry about that…"

He spotted his father first. Nicholas had that effect; he drew attention. Some people called it an aura of command or a persona that just couldn't be ignored, but Jaune had always thought the fact his dad was a solid six-foot four helped. He towered over most people, and his shaggy blond hair and rugged beard combined with piercing blue eyes made sure that if he caught your attention, he held it. A head over the competition, he was quick to spot Jaune and point him out to someone smaller, someone hidden amongst the throng of bodies.

Though not for long.

Juniper Arc may not have shared her husband's height, weight or muscle mass, but she was not a woman to be trifled with. You couldn't have, control and raise eight children by being meek or submissive. Juniper tore through the people in front of her, ignoring their complaints and staring down those who dared challenge her. Long blonde hair fell down her back and her green eyes locked onto him immediately, shifted to Miltia, then snapped back to him again when she saw he was in a wheelchair.

Behind him, Miltia coughed and prepared herself to make a good impression.

"What the fuck were you thinking!?" Juniper Arc howled.

If there was anything he could take pleasure in, it was Miltia almost stumbling behind him.

"You absolute fucking idiot!" his mom went on, reaching him and grabbing both hands – pausing as she considered dragging him into a hug and what that might do - then leaning down to hug him. A second later, she'd drawn back enough to grab his collar and shake him. "I didn't raise someone so stupid as to run off and fight the Grimm without training. You'll tell me what you were thinking, son, or broken legs or not, I will bend you over my knee, strip you in front of your girlfriend and _everyone_ watching and spank you until your ass is raw!"

"Holy shit!" Miltia crowed. "Your mom is a badass!"

"You think I could put up with these two without being willing to get my hands dirty?" Juniper jerked a thumb back at Nicholas, who rolled his eyes and gave Jaune a sympathetic grimace. The look of two men consigned to being naught but furniture in a conversation between their partners. "Both of them would get themselves killed with a dining room table if I didn't keep an eye on them. Sometimes I'm amazed Jaune can put his pants on in the morning without tripping up and breaking his neck."

"Mooom…"

"Even harder now," Miltia said, nodding to the wheelchair. "I offered to help but he's crazy shy."

"I don't see why. If he's anything like his father, he's not exactly lacking below the belt."

"MOM!"

"Yeah? If that's what Jaune grows into, I might have reason to stay. Wow."

"Hm." Juniper looked back to her husband. "He _is_ fairly handsome. Watch out for the beard, though. Looks nice, feels nice but he leaves his fuzz in the sink in the morning and forgets to rinse it. Might want to train that out of Jaune if it happens unless you want to feel like you've got a dog moulting everywhere."

"I said sorry," Nicholas mumbled.

"That's nice, dear. Why don't you and Jaune catch up while we women talk shop, hm?"

Nicholas shook his head and approached Jaune, kneeling to give him a swift hug and take the wheelchair from Miltia, leading him away slightly as the two women chatted, both making wild hand gestures and unashamedly talking about the two of them.

"Welcome to my world," Nicholas said. "We Arcs have always been cursed to fall for the strongest of women. Submissive genes, I think."

"I didn't even fall for her. She just kind of hunted me down. Like a wild animal."

"Really? Then Juniper will love her." Nicholas brought them both out the way of the crowds and to a wall with a bench by it, which the taller man sat down on. "How are you?" he asked. "Your friend – Melanie, I believe – told us that you were healed physically, but that doesn't really answer anything. Are you in pain? Are you having trouble sleeping?"

"No, not really." Jaune saw the serious look and held his hands out. "Honest. I… I can see _why_ I might have trouble sleeping, but I'm not. It's kind of weird. I really expected loads of recurring nightmares or some form of PTSD, or… or something. But I feel fine. Well, not fine…" He gestured to the wheelchair. "But I'm not feeling afraid or nervous or anything."

"Different people face adversity in different ways. Perhaps there's simply no fear in you because you experienced the worst the Grimm can offer." Nicholas smiled. "I'm glad you're okay, son. When I heard the news…" He sighed. "It was difficult. Very difficult. We're lucky, I suppose. News isn't quick to reach Ansel, which meant Melanie called us _before_ we heard of an attack and so many people being killed. We found out you were safe before we found out you were hurt. Took away some of the panic."

Jaune made a mental note to thank Melanie for that. "Sorry. I didn't get into that through choice, though."

"I know. I heard the full story. Juniper might still demand an apology, but I know what it's like to be in a situation where all your decisions seem bad. I could go on about how you were reckless, but I don't think you need me to. You've learned that lesson."

"Yeah. Yeah, I have. Is it bad that my biggest regret being like this is not being able to go to the toilet alone?"

Nicholas laughed. "I don't think you'd be my son if you weren't focusing on such stupid things. It's part of the Arc charm to be such an idiot. How is your business? Do you need help getting back on your feet?"

He was grateful for the change in topic, especially to one so close to his heart. Jaune relayed all the details of what happened, along with everyone's efforts to try and get the diner back on track. "It might take a week, but everything is coming together. I think it'll be okay. And luckily, I have two amazing employees who will be able to run it even while I'm recovering."

"And money isn't an issue?"

"Funny story there. So, I got a load of flowers from concerned clients, friends and people I work with, suppliers and the like." He'd even received a cake which was designed like a bouquet of flowers, making an edible collection of roses. From Marron of course. For such a huge man, he could be ridiculously sweet. "There were too many to keep, so Russel and Velvet started taking them to the hospital and donating them to cheer people up."

Just a nice gesture to the only people who could use that many flowers. He was sure neither of them had thought anything of it.

"Thing is, that somehow became a huge PR move. The media found out. And since they're desperate for _happy_ stories after what just happened, they ran with it. Café Prime found out, freaked out about a PR move from us and started what I can only call a PR war."

Nicholas frowned. "More problems?"

"Nope." Jaune laughed. "Since they're afraid to do anything bad to me in case they spark another media storm, they decided to do the opposite. As recognition of my hard work and the kindness I've done, they've offered to step in and foot all the repair bills for my diner."

He couldn't help but laugh again, louder. Oh, Weiss had explained to him how it was all just a PR move, and how the money was but a drop in the ocean of their gross revenue. For what was a small amount for them, they were trying to make it clear that the animosity between Jaune's and Café Prime was over and done with.

It was PR through and through, but it was PR that worked in his advantage, and a gesture he'd won for free thanks to some simple kindness from Velvet and Russel. Win-Win as far as he was concerned.

"I'm still getting the insurance pay-out, too, so I'm going to be better off than I was before. Not to mention with the settlement money from Café Prime in the first place. I'm actually kinda rich."

Not obscenely rich. Not Weiss Schnee rich – not even close – but he probably had as much money as his parents had, and that was a lot considering Nicholas had been a huntsman for over twenty years, and had a home, assets and enough money to support eight children.

Rather than be jealous, Nicholas laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "That's my son." The sheer _pride_ in his voice had Jaune's stomach flipping happily. "Look at you. I can still remember a year back you had no idea what you wanted to do. Be a huntsman, be a hero, be famous. Well, as I see it, you've managed the last two – especially to that couple you saved. I'd say it's much more impressive to be a successful businessman than a huntsman, too."

"D-Dad…" Jaune flushed.

"I'm serious. I'm proud of you, son."

A scroll clicked and flashed from nearby. The two men parted, Nicholas coughing into his fist and Jaune doing the same, adopting the age-old look of two men who had _not_ just been caught having a moment. It didn't fool Juniper or Miltia, with Juniper already sending the image off, probably to his sisters, with a little electronic `whoosh` sound.

"That was adorable. Oh, the girls will love it."

Nicholas grimaced. More like the girls would have some handy blackmail material the next time they wanted daddy-dearest to take them somewhere or go out of his way to pick them up and hide the fact they'd been drinking from their mother.

"Jaune, damn, your mom-" Miltia appeared at his side, all smiles. "Fucking amazing! The stories she has!"

"Yeah." Jaune smiled weakly. "I had a feeling you two would get alone. Much to my horror…"

"I approve of Miltia, too," Juniper said. "Such a nice girl – and not afraid to tell you when you're being an idiot. It's what you've always needed. Not a firm hand, but a stern one. One not afraid to let you do whatever you want to but warn you when you're being an idiot. He's grown up with seven sisters," she said to Miltia, offering tips. "So be careful. Even if he sometimes acts like an idiot, he knows how to get out of trouble with them."

"Surprised he's so shy in that case."

"Ah, but his sisters were always the confident ones. And they scared away a lot of girls that might have been interested in him."

Jaune perked up. "There were girls back home interested in me?"

"One or two." Juniper shrugged. "Sadly, your sisters got to them before I could. I don't think they _meant_ to scare them off but having seven women – many older – chasing you down and cornering you in dark classrooms can be a little intimidating."

"Sons of-"

"Ahem?" Juniper raised an eyebrow.

"Sons of a wonderful woman?"

"Better." Juniper smiled, walked by Nicholas and took the handles of his wheelchair. "Now why don't we all go and spend the day together, hm? I want to hear all about your adventures in Vale – not the boring ones about Grimm, the fun ones about coffee, girls and fighting off some mega-corp."

"She's still over the moon at you following in her footsteps," Nicholas said.

"My boy, taking after his mother!" Juniper giggled. "Oh, I knew teaching you all those coffee blends would pay off. And with none of the girls wanting to be huntsmen, that means more of the kids take after me than do your father!"

"I wasn't aware it was a competition, dear…"

"Only because you lost it, _dear_."

Jaune rolled his eyes.

Miltia couldn't contain her grin.

/-/

If he was shy, then it was fair to say he hadn't gotten that from his mother. Juniper was a whirlwind of activity firmly at home in his diner, meeting all his friends, interrogating them, cooing over their stories, helping lift up broken furniture and stealing one of his working industrial kettles to take over and make coffee easily as good, if not better, than his.

It was kind of galling.

Not just that she made good coffee – the fact she had everyone wrapped around her finger was the worst part, especially because she wanted every story about him she could get hold of. Ruby fell for her whim easily and was quickly taken under Juniper's wing as an honorary Arc sister.

"Your mom is hilarious," Yang said, laughing as they both watched Juniper take Russel's cheeks in hand and stretch them out into a wide and happy smile, all the while crooning over his hair and how much of a gentleman he was for looking after her baby boy.

Velvet was bent over a table laughing at her colleague's discomfort.

"She's always been a force of nature. My sisters took after her, too. I think that's how I ended up so shy at first."

"Too many boisterous girls to grow up with?"

"Yeah. I was like the runt of the litter trying to get a place at a slain deer. Except, you know, with the deer carcass representing social skills."

"I wonder if I did that with Ruby sometimes," Yang admitted. "But I think that's just how she is. Growing up as the quiet girl who liked engineering more than dolls kind of turned her off other girls, then by the time she got to Signal, she assumed they'd all be the same again, forgetting that all the girls there were huntresses-in-training as well. She got better, but by the time she did, she'd backed herself into a corner."

"She's doing better in Beacon, though." He asked. "Right?"

"Oh yeah. All she needed was a fresh start. "Shake the shy and quiet girl image, and suddenly she's the team leader we all know, love and occasionally put up with against our will." Yang grinned. "Unusually when she's on another one of her weapon binges. That, at least, hasn't changed."

"Well, that's Ruby for you."

"Hm. Yeah. How you doing, by the way? Can't be easy introducing your girlfriend to your parents."

"Actually, it kinda is. When your girlfriend is Miltia Malachite, and your mom is Juniper Arc, they sort of introduce themselves and side line you entirely. Have to admit, I thought this would be harder than it actually is."

"Hm." Yang watched his mother fawn over Velvet. "To be fair, I think she's putting it on a bit."

"Huh?"

"Your mom. She _does_ like everyone, but she's probably making it easier for you on purpose. Because of this," Yang tapped the arm of his wheelchair. "They really care for you. I guess they're so worried about your health, mental or otherwise, that they want to be as supportive as possible. Even if that means accepting your first girlfriend and not making a fuss."

Jaune watched his parents with Yang's words in his head. Juniper had never been a shy woman, but she could be impulsive at times. Even if Miltia was like that herself, it made sense that Juniper would be at least a _little_ uncertain around her. Instead, she'd accepted her on first sight and done everything in her power to win Miltia over.

Zero fuss. Zero awkward feelings.

"Not that I think she'd stay quiet if she didn't like her," Yang said. "I'm sure she and your girlfriend get on just fine. Your mom is just trying her hardest to make it work faster. For your sake."

"Everyone is bending over backwards for me…"

"Oi." Yang kicked his foot. "Don't be dense. It's not bending over backward to like someone. And we're helping you out repairing your diner because you're going to repay us with coffee." Yang winked. "Don't think anything in life is for free."

"And Yang is _talking_ to you now to get out of work," Blake snapped, stalking up behind her partner. "So even her so-called helping you right now is designed to her benefit."

"Heh heh." Yang rubbed her head. "Guess I've been caught. Don't dwell on what I said, anyway. It's not like they're lying to you or anything. Your mom is probably just not wanting to cause a fuss, mostly because she wants to spend time with you and having fun, not arguing over girlfriends and the like. Take it as a sign of how much she cares. Your dad, too."

Blake dragged Yang off before she could drop any more wisdom, leaving Jaune to sip on a cup of his mom's coffee and savour the nostalgia. His diner was slowly coming back into shape, the glass having been collected up off the floor by Ruby and Weiss, and the broken counter unit having been carried out between Nicholas and Ren.

Nora and Pyrrha chatted as they layered plaster over claw marks in the wall, Nora making huge gestures and layering it on wildly while Pyrrha followed and smoothed it out, laughing at some tall tale the other told. Melanie was out front, organising a squad of mobsters to collect trash and carry it to the recycling centre. Miltia was sweeping the floor with a vengeance, using the broom like a deadly weapon. Blake forced Yang back into helping her bend table legs back into shape.

The door banged open and a huge man appeared in it, muscles straining and bulging like balloons about to pop, and bald head shining in the sun. His white apron clung to his form, lost between his huge bulging pecs and speedbump-like abs.

"I heard rumour my favourite customer was working today!" Marron boomed, ducking through the door. "And I brought treats, along with some special helpers."

Two girls, eight and nine respectively – Jaune knew, since Marron would never stop talking about his daughters if he had the chance – bustled in beside their father, small and petite and with happy smiles and pretty bows in their hair. They carried a box of cakes each, small cartons. Under one arm, Marron carried a good dozen on his own.

"Cakes for hungry workers," he said. "Come on, girls. Go on. Be brave."

"H-Hello Mr Jaune." Tabby, the older daughter, came first, offering out her cake. "For you. Please get better soon."

"Hi," Laurel, the younger, whispered, hiding behind her sister. After a second to dither, she pushed out her own small box. "Here. Can I have one?"

"Laurel," Marron rumbled.

"Can I have one, please?"

Marron looked so suitably pleased that Jaune couldn't help but snicker. He opened one of the boxes and looked inside. There were four or five cakes in his alone, which meant easily fifty for everyone. "This is too much for me to eat alone," he said. "Will you two help me?"

"Yeah!"

"Yay!"

The girls climbed up onto his lap, earning a worried look from their father for Jaune's legs, before he waved the man off and let them settle down. "My legs aren't that badly hurt," he said. "It's more the exhaustion and recovery. They're fine."

"If you say so." Marron lumbered over and deposited the cakes, looking to all the people helping him, many of which looked shocked to see such a huge and intimidating person. All except Velvet of course, who rushed over with a happy smile.

"Hi Marron!"

"Velvet." He swept the girl up and into his chest, making her all but disappear in his arms. "You're skinny, girl. What do they feed you? Not enough, I say. Here. Chocolate cake."

"Do you have any carrot cake?"

"Don't feed the stereotypes, damn it." He looked over Velvet to the others. "Well? What are you all waiting for? I didn't bake these cakes for you all to stand around looking at them." He opened several boxes and the smell of warm and freshly baked cake wafted through the diner. Ruby began to drool visibly. "Help yourselves!"

Everyone descended, Yang included – much to Blake's disgust since she'd only just gotten her back to work. Even Blake gave up and stopped for a few treats, however, and since he'd come baring gifts, everyone soon accepted the large man into their midst. Juniper got to him first, of course, quickly finding out he was one of Jaune's main suppliers and deciding to find out more about how her son had contacted all his suppliers and what first impression he'd made.

There was also the occasional non-subtle glance his way – or more specifically, to the girls balanced on his lap eating cake and occasionally feeding some to him. Juniper's scroll came out and took yet more pictures, all of which would no doubt be on his sister's scrolls within the hour.

The talk about grandchildren was coming. He just knew it.

"Why do those two get my spot?" Miltia asked from behind him, grumbling. "That's my lap."

"Please don't say anything that might get me in trouble with Marron."

"Tch. I know when to hold my tongue." Her eyes sparkled. "And yours-"

"Miltia!"

"Okay, okay. Stopping. Sheesh." She nabbed some cake that was headed for his mouth and bit into it herself, laughing at the indignant look nine-year-old Tabby shot her. "Kids should know how to share," Miltia teased.

"Big girls should know their p's and q's. You didn't say _please_."

"Hey. I please Jaune-" Miltia rolled her eyes when Jaune glared at her. "Please, may I have some cake, and _thank you_ for letting me have it. There? You happy?"

"Yes." Tabby nodded and went back to earing.

Their meal was interrupted by a lorry arriving outside with a delivery logo on the side. The back was opened, and two workers moved several large boxes onto a ramp that was lowered down to the floor. They came in with a clipboard for him to sign for the delivery while Nicholas and Marron worked with Ren and Russel to cart the things inside.

"Anything good?" Miltia asked.

"Replacement coffee machines and a new display unit. For the one I smashed to pieces with my head." The boxers were pulled open as the delivery men drove off, revealing the unit he'd mentioned – a huge thing with space for glass panels, all of which were stored separately. The thing was stood on its end and taller than he was, though it would only be about four feet tall when on its side.

"Come on," Marron said, tapping the side. "I have one of these myself. I'll show you kids how to set it up. Help me with the lifting."

"Aye aye!" Nora took the other end.

Ren sighed and picked up the instructions packet. It fell open, revealing a good ten pages or so of text. The young man sighed again, shoulders falling. They got to work on laying it down with Ren – being smaller than Marron – forced to lay on his back inside and fiddle with the filament bulbs and electronics of the cooler unit, all of which would need to be in place before the glass panes were put into place. Nora would hand him tools as he called for them and Marron leaned over the top, offering explanation and tips where needed.

The coffee machines, Russel and Velvet took command of, knowing more about what each of those were and where they would be best placed. Carrying one between himself and Nicholas, Russel put it down on the side and worked the cellophane off, dragging the protective base out from under it and opening the top, digging around for more packaging material shoved inside.

It was amazing how quickly a diner could be put back together.

In a way, that was represented across all of Vale. While the Grimm attack was a tragedy that had stricken the city with grief, people in Remnant lived with the Grimm as an ever-present threat. You couldn't afford to sit and long over what was lost. You had to move on. And with Grimm drawn by negativity, it was all the more important for people to focus on the future and not dwell on the past.

Doing so when your village was attacked could all too easily bring more Grimm back to finish the job. Already, the street outside his diner was repaired – all of Walker Street was, and the Council were hard at work repairing the actual site of the breach, where explosives had torn up a plaza and led Grimm directly into Vale. A monument was being erected there, a marble plinth which would have the names of everyone who had fallen engraved onto it.

Compared to the devastation wrought on the city, the damage done to the diner was minimal. In fact, it was mostly done to him. The Grimm hadn't cared for his property. The door frame was still broken and would need replacing, but the windows had already been cleared, and fresh panes would be coming in a few hours. Of his broken chairs and tables, it was just a case of lugging them out and buying new ones. His walls were already smooth thanks to Pyrrha – and mostly thanks to Pyrrha – with plaster drying. That would be painted over later, and the great grooves and claw marks dug into the wall were nothing but a memory.

Things like that could be hidden and replaced. It was the damage done to the people that could not.

 _Put like that, it really is amazing that I'm not more bothered about what happened. No trauma or anything. Is that just because I'm surrounded by so many people who care?_

It didn't feel like any inherent strength on his part, so maybe that was the case. If so, it was something to be grateful for. And everyone was here because of him, with even his parents going out of their way to make sure he was happy and that they didn't interfere. All because they wanted to see with their own eyes that he was safe and happy.

Thinking about it like that, there was only one way to repay them.

Be happy.

Taking a piece of cake in hand, Jaune smiled and raised it over his shoulder, looking to Miltia until she leaned in with a grin and bit it from his fingers. Hearing the girls in his lap giggle, he did the same to them, feeding the cake around as Juniper cooed and took pictures. It made her happy and reaffirmed that he was alive and well to both her and his sisters.

A little embarrassment was a small price to pay for that.

/-/

Jaune sat in his wheelchair as Russel locked the diner up and Velvet waited nearby. The two would be walking back to Beacon together, or at least to the Bullhead docks, where they would fly back together. That they weren't together still blew Jaune's mind, though he figured he was the last person to offer advice.

"We're all good," Russel said. "See you tomorrow I guess." He stayed a good seven or eight feed away from Juniper at all times, sliding around the edge of the building to Velvet's side. The faunus had definitely noticed if her smile was any indication.

"Thanks for the help, guys. And thanks for doing all this. I'll have to give you a bonus."

"Nah. We'd be working today anyway. What's it matter if we're serving drinks or helping fix the place up? It's still work."

"You'll take your bonuses and you'll be happy with them. Don't make me force them down your throat."

"Yeah?" Russel grinned. "Not sure you could reach my throat from a chair, boss."

Velvet elbowed him in the side. "Be nice. Jaune is injured."

"Hey. He started it. He threatened me."

"With money." Velvet rolled her eyes and giggled. "You don't have to, Jaune, but we won't argue. Get some rest and try not to worry so much. We'll keep the diner running, at least until the tournament starts."

"Even that is only two or three days," Russel said. "Anyway, nice to meet you Mrs and Mr Arc." Russel bowed his head respectfully, but still manoeuvred Velvet between him and Juniper. "We'd best be off before Velvet's team worries where she is."

"Yeah, sure. Make it about me." Velvet laughed and waved at Jaune and his family, following after Russel and catching up to walk beside him. "Nice to meet you all." she called over her shoulder, before the two vanished around the corner.

"Are they together?" Juniper asked immediately.

"Amazingly, no."

"Nah. They're together. They just haven't-oh?" Juniper cut off quickly, looking to the left.

Jaune followed her gaze and was surprised to see a familiar person approaching. One he hadn't expected to see, and whose presence had his heart racing just a little. He forced a smile onto his face, one he couldn't say he felt all that deep inside him. He wished his parents could be back home in Ansel, safe.

"Jaune," she greeted.

"Cinder. H-Hey…" He swallowed. "We're not open, I'm afraid."

"I know." Cinder's eyes closed and a low sigh escaped her. "I heard you were staying at the Club. I visited but was told you would be here. I wanted to speak with you."

Fear shot through him. Had she discovered he knew about the attack? Did she suspect he had a hand in pointing Ruby and her team in the right direction? If so, he was in no state to escape her. Worse, by denying her, he'd put his parents in danger.

"In private?" he offered, feeling sick.

"That's not necessary. I wanted to wish you well on your recovery."

"Oh." His shoulders slumped. He stared in surprise as Cinder brought her hand from behind her back, revealing a bouquet of bright purple flowers. He took them stupidly, staring down on them in confusion. This. This, he hadn't expected. Not from Cinder of all people. "I… I don't know what to say. Thank you. I… I'm touched."

"What the Grimm did to you was cruel beyond measure." Her eyes were closed again. She looked tired. Worn. "Were I there, I would have destroyed them myself and taken you to safety. You did not deserve that which happened to you."

Jaune stared down at the flowers.

"Purple hyacinths," Juniper said, interrupting with an odd tone. A serious one. "That's an interesting choice to give to someone who's recovering from injuries. Very interesting. I don't suppose you're trying to say something?"

Cinder glared at his mother.

"Ah." He winced. "Cinder, this is my mom and dad. Nicholas and Juniper. Mom, dad, this is Cinder. She's…" She was what? What could he say? "She's a customer of mine. And a friend."

He had no idea why he added the latter.

Cinder's eyes burned into his.

"A friend…" Her attention turned back to his parents, then him again. "I suppose… no, I shouldn't keep you. Enjoy your time with your family, Jaune. I only wanted to make sure you were safe with my own eyes and deliver those, and to wish you well on your recovery."

Watching her walk away, Jaune swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Cinder!"

She paused but did not turn.

"The diner should be open again in two or three days." He had no idea what he was doing, only that it had to be said. "I'll make sure to get some Mistral Mountaintop for you. We'll share a drink."

Without turning, Cinder nodded, standing a little taller as she walked away.

Juniper watched her go, then turned to Jaune and took a look at the flowers. She frowned and crossed her arms. "Maybe we should go back to this club of yours," she said. "We might as well find a vase for those things."

"What does it mean?" Jaune asked her. "Purple hyacinths. You reacted to those immediately. What do purple hyacinths mean?"

Juniper sighed, but did answer after a moment of silence.

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

* * *

 **Ah, the language of flowers. I was going to leave it ambiguous and not explain it – let some people think to Google it themselves and be surprised that way, but I figured that's asking a lot of people. And also a bit arrogant to assume everyone would want to.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 11** **th** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	47. Chapter 47

**Here we go**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 47**

* * *

"Cinder gave you those? Have you checked them for poison?"

Roman was, for some unknown reason, sat in Jaune's wheelchair. It was probably curiosity on his part, and he didn't look all too impressed at how comfortable it was. He was using the wheels to roll himself around the room, though. Just to see if he could. Jaune stood at the counter nearby, using one arm to steady himself as he adjusted to standing on one leg over the other.

Miltia would have his head if she saw him – and Melanie would tattle if she did – but he was recovering, not crippled. He could technically stagger about and sitting around all day had his good leg feeling stiff and cramped. He put the purple flowers in a vase and fluffed them up.

"I'm still not sure what I'm supposed to think about them." Jaune turned and watched Roman swerve onto one wheel, stab down his cane and correct himself. "You realise I have to give that back, right? It's not a skateboard."

"It's taxpayer funded."

"You pay taxes!?"

"Sure." Roman swivelled to a stop and crossed one leg over the other. "Not many, I'll admit, but I really do have a removals business. As a front, of course. It would look awkward if a guy living in an apartment kept buying things but had no visible source of income. Stuff like that sticks out."

"And how much tax have you been paying?"

"Well, business has been bad lately and we've been making losses…"

"Great." Jaune rolled his eyes. "So not only are you a thief, but you're also registering a loss so you can claim tax back on your expenses. You are _literally_ a tax-funded criminal. Great to see my money being put to good use."

"Don't be a bad sport. Besides," Roman nodded to the flowers. "I asked what you're gonna do about that."

"Look at them. Leave them here."

"Not the flowers, doofus. Cinder."

"I don't know. I'm not even sure why you're asking me. She's a deadly criminal, you're a wanted thief and Ruby and her friends are the big heroes. I'm a barista." In the grand scheme of things, he didn't really matter – and that wasn't self-pity speaking, it was fact.

"You're also the only person on Remnant she'd probably apologise to."

"How does that help? Apologies don't mean much if the person goes and does it again. She's sorry I got hurt, not sorry she unleashed Grimm in the city." There was a marked difference there. Cinder could say sorry to his grave and it wouldn't change anything. "You work with her, Roman. Talk to her."

"Ha. And get my head roasted off? No thanks."

Jaune sighed. "She isn't _that_ hard to talk to."

"See." Roman leaned forward. "That's what I'm talking about. Cinder being `not hard to talk to` is something that a grand total of one person has said. You. The only reason I dare question her is because I know she needs me. That could change at any moment and then poof!" He fell back dramatically. "No more Roman."

"And you don't think I could be `poofed` just as easily?"

"Sure, but she wouldn't need to. You're safe. You're easy. Cinder can let her guard down around you because she doesn't think there's a damn thing you could do to harm or stop her." Roman considered that for a moment. "And she's right."

"Gee. Thanks."

"But that keeps you safe, kid. You're easy and relaxing for her because you're weak and ignorant. You're someone she can let her guard down around and stop being the hard-ass mega-bitch and just be herself with."

"Which will change dramatically if she finds out I'm talking like this behind her back, or that I sicced Ruby and her team onto her."

"Oh, hell yes, you'd be dead in an instant."

Wow. And he'd hoped for a moment that Roman might have lied to make him feel better.

"Point I'm making is that there are two Cinders," Roman said. "You've got Cinder Fall the monster trying to take down Vale, and you've got Cinder Fall, the woman who delivers flowers to her favourite barista and apparently likes dogs."

"Dogs…?"

"Long story." Roman shook his head. "Anyway, you're just about the only person who gets to hang around with human Cinder, so do something to help us all, yeah?"

"Like what!?"

"I dunno. Seduce and bang her. Convince her to settle down, sprog her up and live a long life of kinky sex and peaceful coffee mornings." Roman waved a hand. "Take one for the team!"

Leaving aside the fact he didn't think getting together would Cinder would be much of a sacrifice, let alone `taking one for the team`, he wasn't about to dignify Roman's suggestion with an answer. Not when Miltia might hear about it. "She bought me flowers, Roman. I don't think the next stage is sex."

"Heh. According to Miltia, that's what _you_ think it is."

Jaune flushed. "And I'm an idiot. That's been established for a while."

"True. You could be a heroic idiot, though. One who saves Vale from the clutches of a megalomaniac Cinder. I mean, the other option is that you poison her coffee and kill her."

"I'm not doing that!"

"Kid, c'mon, I know your professional pride is important and all that-"

"Forget pride! I'm not _murdering_ someone!"

"Oh, right. Forgot who I was talking to." Roman rolled his eyes and mumbled something about sanctimonious brats. "Just think about it, yeah? As things are going, Vale is about to get very hot in the coming weeks. Too hot for even me to survive. I don't mean to put the pressure on you, but like it or not you're the only one she lets her guard down around. If you won't take the chance to do her in, at least try and convince her to stop doing this."

"I don't see why it should be my responsibility…"

"It's not. You're just the unlucky SOB in the right place at the right time. Fate, design or just bad luck. You decide."

As if to echo the latter possibility, the door opened and Miltia stepped in with a tray of food. Her eyes narrowed immediately on Jaune, sat _not_ in his wheelchair and limping around the room specifically how she'd told him not to. Her lips thinned and her shoulders tensed, and he knew the telling-off of tellings-off was coming. One that would doubtless draw his mother's attention, and then lead to _both_ joining forces to harangue him.

Faced with that, Jaune did the only thing he could do. Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was design.

Maybe Roman was just unlucky.

Either way, Jaune lied through his teeth and yelled, "Roman stole my wheelchair!"

Roman's mouth fell open. He looked down at himself, the wheelchair and then Jaune.

"You son of a bitch…"

/-/

Despite wanting no more than to throw Roman's words away, they stuck with him through the night, long after the thief himself had gone and Miltia had calmed down from her tirade. They'd eaten together and she'd left him alone soon after, having to work with her sister through the night. He _was_ sleeping at a nightclub after all. It was frankly a miracle that he could sleep at all.

Then again, being a nightclub, Junior had the walls sound-proofed years ago.

His parents had a hotel nearby, even if Junior had offered them room for free. It really was amazing how far the man was willing to go for him. Or coffee. Definitely one or the other. Miltia had laughed when he'd pointed it out and said that their gang wasn't any more immune to PR than Café Prime was. Most of the people who worked here were used to and loved his coffee and cake breaks, so Junior throwing a little charity his way only improved the morale of the gang.

"Plus, he likes you," Miltia had said, and that was it really.

 _I was never very good at making friends before but now I've got a gang boss, a thief, several huntsmen teams and maybe even the headmaster of Beacon among my list of friends._ Or associates at the very least – though even Ozpin would smile and share a story whenever Jaune came to serve him. And then, of course, there was Cinder.

Should he really be the one to do something about her? It didn't seem fair to expect it of him, yet as Roman had said there wasn't really anyone else who she let her guard down around.

Killing her…? That… He didn't think he could do that.

Talking to her…?

It wasn't hard, but then they'd always just talked about random things. Cinder felt safe around him _because_ he didn't know anything of what she was doing, or so she thought. If he brought it up, her walls would slam into place faster than he could blink.

It really wasn't as easy as asking her to stop trying to destroy Vale.

 _But if I don't do anything, who will? Ugh…_

"I just want to serve coffee, damn it!"

The empty room offered its condolences, Cinder's flowers sitting pretty on the counter off to one side while bright neon lights flashed through the curtains. Grumbling, Jaune sat up in bed and let the sheets fall onto his stomach. Reaching onto the bedside table, he picked up his scroll and went through his contacts.

As always, one stood out. The scroll rang for a minute. Then came a click.

" _Ugh…?"_

"Ruby?"

" _Ughhh-? Uh? Mngh?"_

"Ruby, are you okay?"

" _Mngh! Pfoo! S-Sorry."_ Ruby yawned adorably. _"I was eating my pillow."_

Jaune waited for a good while, trying to decipher that.

"Why?" he eventually asked.

" _I thought it was a cookie cloud."_ More silence. _"Don't read into it."_

"Okay. Are you awake?"

"…"

"Right. Yeah, _now_ you are because I woke you up. Sorry. Is this a good time to talk?"

" _After you woke me up at…"_ Ruby trailed off as her face, barely illuminated by her scroll, pulled away. _"Uh. Ten past midnight."_ Another yawn. _"I'd say now is a really good time to talk. Like, I'm going to be really annoyed if you woke me up and don't talk."_

Yeah, that was fair. "I need advice."

" _And you came to me? Why would you do that?"_ Ruby was apparently too tired to realise how condescending she sounded, and toward herself no less. _"Go – yawww – g-go ask Blake or s-something. I don't do good advi-snzzz…"_

"Ruby!"

" _Mah'wake!"_ she slurred. _"Immawake. Was jus' restin' mah face."_

"Ruby, I'm serious. Can you not get a drink to wake up or something?"

" _Don' wanna'."_ Ruby rolled over, determined to present him her back. Unfortunately, she seemed to have forgotten _she_ was holding the scroll, and as such he followed her. _"Ugh, fine,"_ she groaned, giving up at his `alleged` persistence.

He watched Ruby get out of bed from the perspective of her scroll, which was a dizzy proposition. His view swung up and down, briefly passing over a shape that might have been Blake in her bed, before he was suddenly looking at the floor, a pair of bare feet, a dog and finally bathroom tiles. Water flowed and he heard Ruby splash a little on her face, then drink some.

Finally, she sat down on the toilet. _"Talk."_

"Y – You're not actually using the toilet, are you?"

" _Nope."_ The view swung down and Jaune's immediate panic was saved by Ruby's polka-dot pyjama bottoms, safely in place. Ruby both looked and sounded more alive too, though she was yawning into one hand.

At least it was a weekend tomorrow. She could sleep in.

"I need advice," he said again.

" _And yet you're still coming to me,"_ Ruby repeated. _"Is this advice on calibrating a sniper rifle?"_

"No."

" _Then you're in for a rough ride."_ She pondered. _"Unless it's on cookies, in which case I am your girl."_

"It's not cookies."

" _Poo."_

"It's… It's a hypothetical situation," Jaune said, choosing his words carefully. "I have this friend-"

" _Jaune."_ Ruby sounded patient but also impatient. _"Do you know how many people came to me in Signal saying they had a friend who `hypothetically` liked my sister? A lot. I know how the `I have a friend` thing goes. It's you. Just say you."_

Jaune winced. "And my friend-" He watched Ruby roll her eyes. "Has this other friend who might not be the best kind of person."

" _Yeah-?_ "

"Yeah. My friend's friend is definitely… not someone you'd normally call a decent person."

" _How indecent are we talking? Doesn't give to charity? Leaves the toilet seat up? Calls friends at a quarter past midnight and makes them wake up with hypothetical questions?"_

"Murders people."

" _Oh…"_ Ruby's sarcasm faded away, replaced with something stuck in her throat. _"Oh,"_ she said again, swallowing. _"That – That's bad. That's really kinda bad. And why are you-"_ Ruby closed her eyes. _"Why is your friend still friends with this person again?"_

"Because he's possibly the only friend this person has."

" _Hypothetically, of course."_

"Yeah. Of course. And there's this other friend – who might not be great either, but who is a lot less murderous or dangerous than the first – and this friend says to my friend that he thinks he – my friend – could maybe help the other friend get better."

Ruby's eyes were crossed as she tried to follow the conversation. _"Help the murder-hobo get better?"_

"Yeah."

" _At not being a murder-hobo. Right…?"_

"Yes. He thinks I – my friend – should use his friendship with the first person to try and change he- them."

" _R-Right. Does… Does your friend need somewhere safe to stay? Because I'd tell you – I mean, your friend – to get out of there really quickly and not be friends with either of those people. They could come stay at Beacon. It would be safe there."_

"It wouldn't be safe anywhere," Jaune said.

Ruby stared at the screen.

Her head fell into her hands.

" _Jauneeee,"_ she groaned. _"Why are you dropping these bombs on me at past midnight in my toilet while I'm wearing my pyjamas?"_ Ruby whined through her teeth. _"There's supposed to be a time and place for these kinds of talks…"_

"I just… My friend needs advice." He felt small. "You're the only one I could think to come to."

" _Your `friend`,"_ Ruby stressed the word. _"Needs to stop getting himself into such stupid situations! Especially if he's not a huntsman! Okay, fine. So, you – sorry, your friend – knows someone very dangerous, but still considers them a friend and wants to… what? Convince them to no longer be evil?"_

"More than he's wondering if he should. It would be dangerous. Also, he doesn't know where to start."

" _Yeah. Me neither. I normally use Crescent Rose on bad guys. Um."_ Ruby rubbed her eyes. _"I'm going to need more. Like, why are you friends? How?"_

"He serves her coffee."

" _Oh wow, your friend does the same thing you do. Small world. Can we stop with the `your friend` thing now? This is getting confusing."_

"Good! I don't want you charging in and starting a war in my diner!"

" _I won't. I won't. Just… you know someone who is dangerous and you're wanting to help them not be dangerous. Okay. That's good, sort of. I mean, it's a good idea in the same way walking into a burning building to save someone is a good idea. Heroic good; common sense not so good. And you're the only person who can do this?"_

"My other friend seems to think so. I'm the only one she lets her guard down around."

" _And you want to know how to go about changing her mind. Okay, um… ugh. I'm really not good at these things, Jaune!"_ Ruby groaned. _"I want to help but this is changing people's minds stuff. This is talking. It's socialising! It took me a week to convince Weiss to look at me as a human person and not a worm. It took you helping us sort Blake out. I'm more afraid I'd give advice that got you killed."_

Jaune's spirits fell. "I guess…" He swallowed. "I've wasted your time with this, Ruby. I'm sorry."

" _No, no, no, no, no! I'll help, I'll help. Just… I'm not the best person to help."_ Ruby bit her lip and tapped a bare foot on the tiles. _"Ah! I know! I can talk to Doctor Oobleck. He's really smart and he's all about history and not repeating the mistakes of the past and things. If anyone would know how to stop someone doing something, he would."_

"I can't have her find out, though."

" _It's fine. I'll not mention you. Leave it to me. I'll get back to you tomorrow with what he says. Okay?"_

It was as good an idea as any, especially when he had nothing else to fall back on. While it wouldn't help tonight, having done _something_ would let him sleep a little easier. "Alright. Thanks for this, Ruby. You're a great friend."

" _Yeah. Don't you forget it. Now I – Ahhhhh – I'm sleepy. Night, Jaune."_

"Night, Ruby."

He put the scroll down once she hung up, making a mental note to do something nice for her for helping. There were no answers for now, but hopefully Ruby would find some for him soon. Or if not, he was going to be stuck winging this.

It never crossed his mind to ask when he'd decided to go ahead with it.

/-/

It took Ruby way too long to ditch her team so she could go meet with Oobleck. To no one's surprise, her late-night chat in the toilets hadn't gone unnoticed, and since she couldn't exactly tell them the truth of what had been said, she'd just sealed her lips together and refused to talk.

That, it turned out, was suspicious behaviour.

"Stupid Yang thinking I'm having stupid secret boyfriend or stupid something…"

Her team sucked sometimes. They really did. She didn't even think Weiss or Blake _believed_ Yang's idea, but they'd been smirking so much it was clear they were just jumping on the chance to tease her. _See how Blake likes that when I sneak Zwei into her bed later._

Fighting back a yawn – even if she'd laid in, she still felt tired – Ruby approached Doctor Oobleck's office and knocked on the door, opening it when she heard a loud "Come in" from inside.

"Doctor Oobleck?" she asked. "It's Ruby Rose. Can I – Can I ask you something?"

"Miss Rose?" Oobleck was at his desk, a magnifying glass in hand and something old and dusty before him. He was cross referencing with a thick book, but smiled to see her and motioned for her to come in. "Of course, of course. It's unusual to see you on a weekend, Miss Rose. How can I help you? You're not struggling with the last piece of homework, are you?"

"It's not that." Ruby came before his desk and sat down in the chair offered. "You know how in history class, you always said that if people had talked more, the faunus war might have been averted."

"And many other wars," Oobleck said. "It's an all too common occurrence I'm afraid. Humanity's greatest advantage over the Grimm, and what het us thrive as a species, is our ability to reason and negotiate, and yet so many people fall to fear, anger or ignorance, lashing out when words could yet bring peace." Oobleck paused, suddenly aware of how passionate he sounded. He laughed and leaned back. "My apologies, Miss Rose. You've caught me in a bit of a moment."

"No, that's fine. Good even!" Ruby's eyes sparkled. "I think that's a good thing. We should be focused on killing the Grimm, not each other."

"I could not agree more. If I can teach but one person this lesson, I'll consider my work done." He smiled. "Now, how can I help you. Is it something related to this?"

"I – In a way, yeah. It's just… How do you change someone's mind?"

"Hm?"

"Like in the faunus war," she said. "With General…" Uh. Brain, brain, come on! "Lagune?" she said, more a question than an answer.

"General Lagune, yes." Oobleck nodded, pleased she had recalled her lesson.

Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah, so… how would you go about convincing General Lagune to not hate the faunus, and to instead talk to them?"

"That's the million-lien question, and people are asking it still today. How do we convince the White Fang to demilitarise? How do we stop tensions between faunus and humans? How do we turn enemies into allies? It's not something that has an easy answer, I'm afraid." He leaned forward. "Is it something you need help with?"

"Maybe. Or advice. I'm not very good at social stuff. I'm kinda clumsy with talking to people…"

"I would not say so. Acknowledging a weakness and seeking to improve on it is the mark of a true genius, and no one is born perfect. What you are talking about is, at its core, psychology. How the human mind works and how people interact with one another. There are various different schools of thought on the matter, but when it comes to what we're talking about, we need to look at changing the hearts and minds of people like the White Fang."

Ruby leaned forward. "And how do we do that?"

"By first looking at what motivates them. Tell me, what do you think makes the White Fang want to turn from mild-mannered civilians to terrorists?"

Ruby thought of Blake. "They want equality?"

"In a grand sense, yes, but people have been fighting for equality while remaining within the bounds of the law. The White Fang choose to kill and fight for it. Why?"

"Because… they think talking isn't working?"

"Is that a question or an answer, Miss Rose?"

"An answer." Ruby nodded quickly. "They fight because they think it's the only way that works." No, wait. "Or the best way," she countered. "Maybe it's quicker or they think it gets results better than talking."

"That is the important distinction. Most people are results-oriented, even if they think they are not. Desires guide most of our actions, be they selfish desires like wealth, or selfless ones like wanting to help the injured, sick or homeless. We always work _towards_ something. A goal. That is our motivating factor, and what has motivated the White Fang to take up arms is, as you postulate, a desire to affect a more immediate change. One they believe is either not coming through discourse or is not coming quickly enough."

Ruby bit her lip. "Are they right…?"

"Who can say. The Council would have you believe no, as would Atlas, but go back twenty years and the White Fang was a peaceful movement seeking equality through lobbying, protest and integration. They faced racism, prejudice and attempts by Atlas' Governments to deport them to Menagerie."

Oobleck sighed, thoroughly annoyed.

"The White Fang are wrong to go to the lengths they do, but never forget that few people are `evil` for no reason. Behind every madman is likely a sorry tale of someone who was ignored, mistreated or failed in one way or another."

"Does that really excuse them, though?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. But anyone who tells me they would sit back with a smile on their face as their children are taken away to work in mines, branded like animals and then worked to death, is either lying or broken inside. Some people can be worse than the Grimm, Miss Rose, and we hunt and kill those on sight. It's easy for us to judge, safe and sound in our homes with dust to keep us warm, huntsmen to guard us in the night and family and friends to care for us. People are shaped by their experiences. That is the basis of psychology. Or one facet of it, anyway."

Was that information useful for Jaune-? Maybe. It painted his `friend` as maybe just being misunderstood – or was that too simple? Not misunderstood but having a reason for doing what they – what she – was doing.

"So… it's important to figure out what that reason is?" she asked.

"Indeed. Understanding what motivates groups like this is the first step to changing them. You can either change what motivates them, or, in the case of the White Fang, take away those motivations. If the Council would move toward better laws for faunus, or if Atlas would ban forced enslavement and branding at SDC Dust Mines, I dare say many members of the White Fang would retire. They are there because they feel they must be, not because they _want_ to be. Of course," he added, "Exceptions will always exist."

"Change what they want or find another way for them to get it," Ruby said. "Right. That makes sense."

"It sounds as though this is more than an academic debate to you, Miss Rose. Perhaps if you could give a more specific example, I could better help you."

"Okay." That sounded good. Ruby coughed and began. "I have a friend, and he has this friend-"

"Oh?" Oobleck smiled, patient and yet amused, leaning one elbow on the desk and his chin atop it. "Go on then, Miss Rose. Tell me about this `friend` of yours."

Ruby blinked, realising quickly why Oobleck sounded so amused.

"B – But I actually _do_ have a friend who knows a friend…" she whined. "I'm not making this up…"

"I'm sure you do. Please, tell me about your problem – sorry, your ` _friend's_ ` problem."

Ruby sighed.

Jaune owed her for this.

/-/

Pyrrha sped down the path and around a corner, cutting off the main pathway and into the bushes, hiding behind a tree. On the path, several eager fans from Mistral, no doubt here for the festival, ran by, searching for their champion. At seeing them go, Pyrrha let out a long sigh of relief.

Jaune did as well, clinging onto the handlebars of his wheelchair so hard his knuckles turned white.

"I'm _so_ sorry about that!" Pyrrha gushed, ashamed and embarrassed in equal measure at having forced Jaune on a high-speed chase, especially when he was recovering. "I didn't expect it to be so bad or I'd have never suggested we go for a walk."

"No problem." He wheezed the answer, obviously not used to the speeds a huntress moved at. Calming down, he leaned back, forcing himself to let go. "I never realised just how famous you were before now, even if you tried to tell me."

"Hm." Pyrrha was watching for more, but decided hiding was better for now. "It's not so bad in Vale. Still bad in places, but Mistral is where it's the worst. I'm not surprised fans from Mistral would come, let alone that they'd try and hunt me down." She sighed. "They probably want to ask why I left Mistral, or demand I go and study at Haven."

"Why?" Jaune asked. "Isn't it your choice?"

It should have been, clearly, and Pyrrha was grateful for him thinking that. Alas, the average person was not so kind, as she well knew.

"They don't really care about what I want. Even when I was winning and still excited for the tournaments, it was more about showing off what Mistral could do. I'm not a person to them; I'm a commodity."

"Is it really that bad? Aren't they just fans?"

How could she explain it to him in a way that he would understand? Pyrrha hummed for a moment before settling on an unusual analogy. "Imagine that you have a brand of coffee," she said. "It's a decent brand. It tastes okay and isn't too expensive, but there are others just as good and many better."

"Okay…"

"Not imagine that the only difference is that this brand is made in Vale. It is Vale's pride and joy. And that every customer you have _demands_ to have that brand served as your main brand. If you don't, you're unpatriotic."

Jaune grimaced, but she wasn't yet done.

"And imagine that this brand is constantly said to be better than all others, even if it's not. Imagine that the brand cannot exist in a supermarket because all the other brands are pushed off the shelves by angry customers. They only want this brand and they want it now, no compromises." Pyrrha sighed. "Now imagine that brand of coffee is a person."

"I think I get it…"

"It was hard to exist in Mistral as Pyrrha when Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible Girl, was a bigger and better brand. I couldn't so much as give my opinion on a fashion brand without putting competitors out of business. And moving to Vale? That has earned me as many detractors as it has fans. There are a whole lot of people clamouring for my return." A frown crossed her face. "And there are far too many coming up with ridiculous conspiracy theories for why I left. That Haven is inferior, that my parents abused me, that the political leaders of Mistral failed me, or that those in Vale bribed me. That Ozpin and Beacon _stole_ me from Mistral."

There were times when she refused to go online for fear of seeing something, and it had been months since she dared read a newspaper from Mistral. Luckily, that wasn't hard when she lived in Vale now, but with the Vytal Festival coming, there were plenty of people from home making an appearance, and she would be competing in front of them.

On the side of Beacon, not Haven.

"I've had requests for interviews from newspapers and agencies back home," she said. "The questions… well, they're not kind."

"Accusing you of things?"

Pyrrha nodded.

"That's ridiculous!"

"It is," she agreed, smiling at his immediate defence of her. She hadn't told him the story to garner sympathy points but, well, she would take them. "Fortunately, I've been able to avoid much of that in Vale. It's only worse now because of the festival."

"Will you be okay?" he asked.

"I will be. Thank you for asking. If anything, I think it will be hard while the festival is going, but easier afterwards. Maybe this is what I need to stop it once and for all, to make it clear that I'm not going to be bullied into going back to Mistral for some twisted sense of obligation. Mistral did not create me."

"You created yourself?"

Pyrrha nodded. "In the same way you created yourself and your diner. Vale had no part in that."

"I guess we're alike in a way…"

"Yes." It was something she appreciated more than she cared to admit. "Except I'm probably closer to Café Prime, as much as I dislike saying it." At his confused expression, she explained, "I'm the established and bigger brand. New competitors would face doubt and insults from my `fans` long before they even faced me."

"Yikes. It was that bad?"

"Oh yes. Some would receive death threats while more would just be told they didn't have a chance. I'm not sure if you know, but confidence is a big deal in fighting. If they entered the ring already doubting themselves, I was halfway to victory."

He laughed. "I bet you hated that."

"I did!" Pyrrha was happy he leapt to that and not the other, more cynical, possibility that she benefitted from it. "There were people who could have given me a run for my money or even beaten me, but they were defeated by my adoring fans before they ever faced me. It was the most frustrating feeling. I tried to tell them not to, tried to say that any fan who would insult another fighter was no fan of mine, but they would _still_ do it." Pyrrha's hand clenched on the back of Jaune's wheelchair. "It was the most frustrating thing. I hated it so much."

"Things are better in Vale, though?"

"Much. Even… Even if I made it harder for myself than it had to be for a while."

"Russel?"

"Yes." Pyrrha let out a long sigh, shoulders falling a little. It was foolish seeing as how they were on better terms now. Far more mature to forget the unfortunate past and look to a better future, but she couldn't help but be displeased at her younger self.

"What did he actually do?" Jaune asked. "He never really told me…"

"You'll think it foolish of me."

"I won't. I promise."

It really was none of his business, and yet Pyrrha found herself talking regardless. "You have to understand that I'd just reached Vale from Mistral. I expected the worst, for everything to continue as it had before. I was specifically looking for someone who had _no idea_ who I was. I thought that if I could find and partner with someone like that, life would be easier."

Hence her polite dismissal and avoidance of Weiss Schnee, which Pyrrha realised was a mistake now. Ironically, while Weiss had wanted her for her fame, she would have probably made a good teammate. Both of them knew what it was like to be judged for their name and not their personalities. But she hadn't been thinking straight.

She'd been determined to find her ignorant teammate. Focused on it.

And then she found Russel.

"He wasn't rude by any means," she said. "He just…"

"He recognised you?"

"Yes. He recognised me and his eyes lit up. He was excited to be on a team with me and said something about how he looked forward to learning a lot by fighting with me." She realised now he'd been serious about that, but at the time…? "I reacted badly. Awfully. I'm not sure I even heard his words, it was more like I chose not to and to just judge him like any other rabid fan."

"You got better," Jaune said. "Both of you did." He paused. "Have you apologised to him?"

"Yes. We've made our peace. We're better now."

"Then I don't see the problem. People make mistakes, right? That's normal."

"Hm. I think so."

"That's not the only thing bothering you, though. Is it?"

Pyrrha laughed. He was perceptive, or maybe she was just that obvious. Either way, she wasn't surprised he'd noticed something wrong. She really had been quiet today, almost distant. It was with good reason.

"Something has come up," she said. "I'm not sure how much I can tell you."

"Can you give me an idea?"

"Maybe. I was actually hoping for some advice."

"And you came to me? Wow, you must really be desperate."

Pyrrha snorted, then laughed. It felt good. Laughter had been absent of late for her, though that was no fault of Jaune or her team, more a combination of factors around the Vytal Festival, and then, obviously, the attack that had killed so many in Vale. Ozpin's offer coming on top of all that? The timing couldn't have been worse.

"Have you ever been in a situation where you could help so many people, but to do so you must risk your own life? Your own happiness? And where even then, you're not sure it would work?"

Jaune's smile fell. "Would you believe me if I said yes?"

"I don't know. Maybe?"

"I have," he said, leaning back in his wheelchair. "Or it's more accurate to say I am right now. It's… It's not a good feeling, is it? Doubting yourself."

"It's not." Strangely enough, she had a feeling he did understand. "Have you decided what you'll do?" she asked. "I'm unsure myself. I want to help – it's the right thing to do – but I've only just begun to find my own happiness, and this threatens to take that all away."

"But you feel it's selfish to think that way," he went on, taking over her own thoughts and words. "Because it's the right thing to do, so what else matters. Right?"

"Right. We should do the right thing…"

The two of them waited in silence, hidden in the woods off the main path of Vale's central park, loitering like the most suspicious pair of people that could ever have existed. Luckily, no one noticed them, least of all the fans she knew were still hunting her.

"What did you decide?" she asked again.

"I haven't yet. I… I asked for help instead. I called Ruby."

"Ruby Rose?"

"Yeah. She's great, a real friend. A proper friend," he said. "Uncomplicated. Just… friendship. Nothing more."

No complicated feelings or expectations. Pyrrha knew he wasn't wrong there, as she'd seen Ruby talking with Jaune before and there didn't seem to be any feelings beyond them just being the best of friends.

"Has she helped come up with an answer?"

"Not yet. She said she'll ask Oobleck today, but that got me thinking. Maybe it shouldn't be a case of whether you should or shouldn't, but how you go about doing it." He laughed. "I was actually calling her to ask if I should do it or not, but Ruby is trying to find a way for me to do it even though I haven't decided."

"Wouldn't that be bad?" Pyrrha asked. "It's like she's assuming your answer already."

"I don't think she is. I think it's her way of saying I should know exactly what I'd have to do _before_ I make a choice."

"Ah." Pyrrha smiled. "So that you'll be well informed."

"Yeah."

That wasn't a bad thought, and one she was ashamed to say she'd neglected to consider. Ozpin hadn't been cagey per se, but it certainly felt like she didn't know enough. For one, she had no idea what Ozpin planned to do with her once she accepted the offered power. Would she be allowed to stay in Beacon? Would she be allowed to leave when she graduated? Would he prevent her ever leaving Vale if she wished to?

Those were, she realised, rather big questions to not have an answer to. It was impossible to say whether she would be happy or not as the maiden if she didn't take the time to think what life would be _like_ as the maiden. What was to be expected of her, and what kind of life the woman before her had lived.

"Ruby sounds wiser than her years," Pyrrha said.

"I think she's just direct. I tend to complicate things in my head, but she's good at seeing the direct route."

Another way in which she and Jaune were similar. Pyrrha could be just as bad, her poor treatment of Russel a good example. Coco was her Ruby, however, dragging Pyrrha back onto the right track and pointing out the simple and, to Coco at least, obvious truths.

"Thank you, Jaune."

"Huh?" He looked back over one shoulder. "For what?"

For what, indeed. He hadn't answered her question or given any advice, just talked about his own problems and how Ruby was helping him. "For keeping me company, I suppose," she said instead, taking hold of his wheelchair. "It would have been a boring day if I was just training. It's nice to get out and talk to a friend occasionally."

"Yeah." Jaune leaned back with a grin of his own. "And don't tell then, but it's nice to get away from Miltia and Melanie, too. They're great, but they can be pretty stifling at times. Don't move. Sit down. Don't pull your stitches. Let one of the boys help you to the toilet." Jaune grimaced. "I feel like I can't do anything on my own."

Though it would have been easy to side with him for her own purposes, Pyrrha couldn't.

"They're worried about you," she said. "It's their way of showing how much they care."

"I know. I know. Doesn't mean it isn't nice to get out for a bit, though. A little fresh air and some excitement…"

"There she is!" a voice cried. Pyrrha and Jaune's heads snapped toward the path, where someone in a white T-Shirt with "I `heart` Vale" on the front was pointing in their direction. "It's her! It's the Invincible Girl!"

"And the not-so-invincible boy," Jaune grumbled.

Pyrrha laughed, clutching the handles to his wheelchair. "Hold on," she warned, a small smile flickering over her face. "And you _did_ just say you liked the fresh air and excitement, so no complaining at what's to come."

"Me and my big mouth…"

* * *

 **Hm. My internet at home is still god awful. I hate my ISP sometimes, but it's the only choice for internet since I live in the middle of the countryside and can't even get landline connected internet. Sigh…**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 25** **th** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	48. Chapter 48

**Here's the next chapter**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 48**

* * *

"And you better appreciate it!"

"I do, I do," Jaune said, waving away an upset Ruby who had, since the moment she arrived, made it abundantly clear that she'd been through _hell_ for the advice she delivered. "You're amazing, Ruby. An inspiration. The best friend a guy could have."

"Hmm?" Ruby eyed him balefully.

"I'm serious! Best friend ever!"

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?"

"I'll… pay you back?"

"Hm!" Ruby nodded. "Yep. I had to sit through three history lesson's worth of advice from Doctor Oobleck. You owe me."

"What exactly do I owe you?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't thought of anything suitably horrifying."

Well, that wasn't a good sign. Then again, Ruby had come through with the promised advice, getting several pages of her notepad full of detail that first began in her recognisable, though very messy, script, and then being replaced with beautiful cursive that looked more fitting for someone like Weiss.

Seeing him looking, Ruby explained, "Doctor Oobleck said my notes looked bad so he started writing it after a while."

"He must be very into this kind of stuff," Jaune said, turning a few pages.

"Eh. He said if more people cared to talk things out, less tragedy would happen. He's probably right. So, this murder-hobo of yours…"

"Ruby…"

"Jaune…"

They engaged in a brief staring contest.

"Don't make me force you to tell me, Jaune."

"Would you really threaten a man in a wheelchair?"

"If that man woke me up at past midnight to talk about murder, then yes."

He looked away.

"Jaune…" Ruby said it wistfully, coming around to stand in his line of sight again, then flouncing down onto the end of his bed. "I'm only asking because I'm worried about you. You're my friend. My really squishy civilian friend. That's kind of scary. It wasn't before because I didn't know what it meant, but that Beowolf messed you up." She pointed at his legs. "And that was a big shock because I can kill a Beowolf by accident-"

"Gee. Thanks for reminding me."

"-but you can't and that's okay. But now I know just how squishy you are and you're telling me how you're friends with a murderer."

"My friend is friends with-"

"No hypotheticals!" Ruby chucked the first thing to hand at him, realising a second later it was one of Miltia's bras. "D-Don't a-act like I'm stupid," she stammered, red-faced as he peeled the lingerie off and let it fall to the floor. "And don't make light of it. If you don't tell me…"

Her eyes closed.

"If you don't tell me, then I'll tell Miltia."

"She already knows."

"Gah!?" Ruby recoiled. "T-Then I'll tell Pyrrha, or Yang, or Ozpin! I'll tell the most annoying people I can find. I'll even tell Weiss!" He wasn't sure Weiss would be amused at being the first she thought of for the latter. "I'll even tell Blake, and I'll tell her that the person is White Fang!"

"Sheesh." He winced. "Pulling out the big guns…"

"Yeah! Try getting any alone time with Miltia when Blake is hanging from your ceiling fan watching. You don't know ceiling cat until you know Blake looking for terrorists."

As joking as she sounded, he knew she was probably serious with her threat. Ruby had already gone far enough already in keeping his secrets, and to be fair she probably had a suspicion as to who it was in the first place.

"It's the same one as before."

"Cinder?" When he nodded, Ruby groaned. "Oh poo. And that means it's that Emerald girl and Mercury too. But they're so nice!" Her eyes narrowed. "Or Emerald is nice. Mercury SUCKS! He sucks and I _hate_ him."

"Um. Okay?"

"Don't ask," Ruby said. "And don't ask Yang, Blake or Weiss either. Anything they say I did with him at the dance is a filthy, filthy lie."

"You danced with him?"

"I SAID DON'T ASK!" Ruby's eyes didn't know where to look and her cheeks were burning hot. "And we're not talking about me. We're talking about you and the company you keep. You're hanging around with criminals!"

That wasn't a nice thing to say about Miltia and Melanie. Or Junior. Or Roman. Or Neo. Hm. Come to think of it, he really did have a lot of friends on the wrong side of the law, didn't he? It wasn't his fault everyone drank coffee.

"Is she a danger to you?"

"I don't think so. She bought me flowers."

"Did you check them for poison?"

What would Ruby think if she knew Roman had asked that same question? He'd have liked to ask but for the fact that revealing he knew Roman would send Ruby into fresh paroxysms of concerned agony. He'd be wrapped in bubble-wrap and locked in her basement before he knew it.

"Cinder is…" He looked for the right word. "Complicated…"

"Yeah, I can tell!" Ruby yelled. "I mean, it has to be complicated when she _kills people_ for a living! Tell me you're not going to hang around her any further."

He had a friendly dinner date with her that afternoon.

Sweat dripped down his brow.

"Jaune…" Ruby growled.

The sweating intensified.

"JAUNE!"

"Um. It's not what you think?"

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Ruby threw her arms up, doing a rather impressive impersonation of Weiss. "I thought I was supposed to be the dumb one. I'm the socially awkward one. I'm the fifteen-year-old. I'm supposed to be reading comics and slicing the heads off Grimm-"

There was something very wrong with Ruby.

"- I'm not supposed to be here dealing with this!"

"Or in Beacon," Jaune pointed out. "You kind of accepted being involved in adult stuff."

"This isn't adult stuff, Jaune. This is idiot stuff! This is… This is shooting a hurricane to make it go away. It's standing in front of a train and shouting `you shall not pass` and expecting it to listen." She came over and poked a finger into his forehead. "You're a barrister."

"Barista."

"SAME THING!" The poke became a jab as Ruby's finger sought out his brain matter. "You're my civilian friend. You're not supposed to be in more danger than I am."

"Technically, I'm not. Cinder tried her hardest to get me out of Vale. I didn't realise it at the time, but she was hinting I take a holiday off for the Vytal festival. I think… I think Cinder likes me enough to not want me to die."

"You think? This is a lot to let rest on _thought_ , Jaune." Despite the words, Ruby sat down again. "Okay, so maybe she likes you. That's good. Sort of. Maybe? A-Anyway, you can't expect me to just ignore it. She goes to Beacon. Her team are doing stuff."

"I know you'll do what you think is right. Just as I have to do the same."

Ruby glared at him, caught somewhere between resigned and heartbroken. He knew she wanted to ask why, but knowing the answer herself, couldn't. He held the notes she'd provided in his lap and flicked through them. The least he could do was take it seriously and read everything Oobleck had to say. It would be useful, especially the parts about motivation. He knew Cinder had been through something horrible. She'd as much as told him that when her family died.

"I'll be careful, Ruby. You be careful as well. I'll try and change the way she thinks, and you try and nip whatever she's planning in the bud. We'll tackle this from two angles, okay?" Knowing it would help, he added, "You'll have the more dangerous job, and the more distracted she is by you, the more she might open up to me."

"Fine." Her eyes narrowed. "But just so you know, if I think you're in danger then I'm stepping in. I'll do what I have to, even if that means going to Ozpin or Ironwood. Deal?"

Jaune held out his hand.

"Deal."

/-/

It was rather daunting to be helpless and pushed down the road by a confirmed murderer. Jaune sat in his wheelchair with a rather wooden expression, hands clenching the armrests with much more force than was necessary. His attempts to calm himself down were in vain, especially since Cinder was behind him and he couldn't see what she was doing.

 _Calm down. Stop acting so obvious or she'll figure out something is wrong._

"We are being followed," Cinder said calmly.

"Hah-!?" Jaune jumped in his seat, then turned to look up at her. "What?"

"Your… girlfriend, I believe. Or her sister." The hesitation was for confusion between them, not on the term of their relationship. "She is keeping her distance but watching us. I wonder why."

"P-Probably jumping to conclusions," he laughed. "Maybe she's worried I'll run off with you."

The excuse seemed to work because a small and lazy smirk made its way across her face. "I don't think you'll be _running_ anywhere."

"Hey. Don't make fun of the injured person…"

Cinder laughed. It was, to his surprise, quite a nice and relaxed sound. He didn't think it was staged and he found himself laughing along with it, sinking down into the chair a little. At least Cinder didn't think Miltia was following because she knew Cinder was a killer and wanted to make sure he was safe. It was much easier to paint Miltia as the jealous girlfriend. Safer for her, too.

"Where are we going?" he asked. "You wouldn't say."

"It's a favourite restaurant of mine. Your drinks are the best in Vale, but I cannot eat cakes all my life. If I did, then it would be _me_ who wouldn't be running around." She chuckled again. "I made a reservation for two. You look like you could use a good meal."

"That bad?"

"Your cheeks are a little sunken."

It wasn't lack of food – more lack of exercise and him skipping out on washing himself as well as he used to, mostly because wash time was embarrassing when you had to be held up by someone. He rushed it all. Still, food did sound good, and while Junior was happy to have his boys go out for all sorts of takeout, it was still takeout. He'd had enough greasy food in the last week for a lifetime.

To anyone watching, it might well have looked like a date. Cinder wore a rather fitting red dress with black shorts beneath – something he immediately felt guilty for having noticed. Her long, bare, legs reached down to black heels which clicked on the pavement as she walked behind him, pushing his wheelchair along. He, meanwhile, wore a smaller version of Junior's waiting outfit, mostly because his own clothes were being washed. He looked snazzy, but somewhat overdressed in a white shirt and black waistcoat.

It really did look like they'd both gone out for a dinner date far too early in the day. People kept turning to look at them, though that might have had something to do with the wheelchair itself. It was a little disturbing how much attention you drew when you were different in some way.

Luckily, the Malachites knew exactly what this was all about, so Miltia knew there was no romance involved. If she was following now, it was out of concern.

The restaurant Cinder brought him to was a surprisingly small one. Intimate, but not especially expensive or posh. That made the contrast between their outfits all the bigger, especially when one or two other people eating there looked over, dressed in casual slacks, jeans or jackets.

"I rented a private room," Cinder said, pushing him past the diners. She nodded to the man behind the counter, who opened a door for them.

"Miss Fall," he greeted, nodding once.

"Pierre," she replied, not nearly as relaxed or casual as she could be with him. It was, at best, a formal acknowledgement of his existence and name. "Please bring some menus through for us. I will have my usual. Jaune, a drink? Coffee?"

"Not a chance. Fruit juice, please."

"Too much coffee in your life?" Cinder teased, falling back into her smirk once Pierre was gone.

"Definitely. I eat, sleep and dream coffee. If someone drew my blood, it would probably be caffeinated."

"That might explain your addictive personality."

"My what-?" Jaune couldn't help but laugh. "No one has ever said I have that. Trust me, my personality impressed _no one_ before Vale. I wasn't the village pariah because that would have taken more personality than I had. I was _literally_ the most average person in Ansel."

"Not here, though," she said, helping him into a seat.

"Vale is weird. The people here are nuts. No offence."

"I'm not from Vale, so I won't take any."

Their drinks came and Jaune took the moment's distraction to think back on the notes and advice he'd gotten from Ruby and Oobleck. It said that the main two ways to change someone's mind were to either change what motivated them or to remove the need for that motivation. For instance, if someone was a criminal because they had to steal to feed their family, then helping them find another way to do so should, in theory, stop it.

Either way, understanding those reasons was important. You couldn't change them if you didn't know what they were.

"You said you grew up in a village as well," he said.

Cinder's eyes snapped to his, burning with intensity. For a moment, he actually thought she was considering killing him. Her eyes softened an instant later and he could breathe again.

Why had she looked at him like that? Was the question so loaded?

"I _did_ mention that to you, didn't I?" She sighed. "Forgive me, I'm… not used to people knowing that much about me or my past."

Her anger made sense. It was anger, but also fear. Or shock. It was because he _knew_ something about her in the first place. Cinder wasn't used to anyone knowing anything about her. It was entirely possible that she had never told anyone other than him.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"Then why ask?"

"Uh?"

"I'm not upset at you," she said. "Merely curious. Why bring up such a topic?"

"I guess I just want to get to know you better."

"Truly?"

"Well… yeah. I mean, what else are we going to talk about?"

"Good question," Cinder admitted. "I hadn't really thought about it." Her eyes drifted shut. "I am… not actually used to doing things like this. Normally when I spent time with people, it is with a clear goal in mind that I can work towards."

"No goal with me?" he had to ask.

"Not as such. I… I believe I wanted to make you feel better."

It seemed that the answer surprised even Cinder, who narrowed her eyes and sipped at her drink. It was a motivation in a way – and one that had him feeling just a little better. Roman and Ruby might not have believed it, but her thinking like that was proof that she wasn't irredeemable.

"That's normal between friends. You feel pain when they're in pain and want to help them."

"Shared pain? That seems dangerous."

"Not literally. I mean-" He paused, noticing her raised eyebrow. Cinder was _unused_ to situations like this, not entirely idiotic. She knew that it wasn't literally a sharing of pain. "Ugh. Sorry. I'm a little literal sometimes. I just meant that I've felt the same about people. I get worried when my friends are hurt, too. And want to help them."

"And me?" she asked. "If I were hurt, would you be concerned?"

"I would like to think so. We're friends, aren't we?"

"I don't know," Cinder said honestly. "I've had colleagues and companions and even the occasional lover, but I would never say there was any strong emotional attachment between us."

"What about your team?"

"They are companions of a sort. I don't mean to suggest I feel nothing; I am sometimes amused at Emerald and Mercury's bickering, and I can be just as annoyed when they are being stubborn. It's just that our arrangement has always been a more professional one. I am their team leader and they follow my instructions."

"Are you sure? Emerald seems to really respect you."

Cinder sighed and slumped a little in her seat.

"Uh. Something I said?"

"Emerald… perhaps respects me more than she should. And more than is always appropriate." Seeing that he didn't immediately understand, she rolled her eyes and added, "She would like to respect me even more, ideally in her mind with us both beneath the bedsheets covered in sweat."

"Oh!" His face flushed. "Oh wow. I didn't… Uh…"

How was he to explain that he'd just pictured that, and that he wished he could download the mental image onto his scroll and keep it for prosperity's sake? Coughing, he picked up his drink and hid his embarrassment in a long gulp.

"I guess that must be awkward?"

"Just a little. While I respect Emerald's abilities and appreciate her loyalty, her… efforts to impress me can sometimes be bothersome."

"Have you tried telling her you're not interested?"

"I've mentioned it once or twice but it's a sensitive topic. I can't afford for her to become frustrated or so miserable that she can't do her job."

"You don't encourage it. Do you? Not if you have no interest…"

"I do not," Cinder said. "I'm well aware that any immediate gain I would get from that would be offset by needless drama and angst down the line. I'm quite clear of what our relationship is. Not that it stops Mercury baiting her at every opportunity, or Emerald becoming jealous whenever someone shows any interest in me." Her lips drew flat. "Even if I'm not interested in anyone myself, it can be annoying at times. Of course, I can't say anything without upsetting her."

This wasn't the way Jaune had seen the conversation between him and Cinder going but he leaned in anyway, expression very serious. "That sounds like trouble. I guess you're not interested in her like that. No chance at all?"

"I do not believe so. I'm not really interested in anyone."

Focused on her work, more like. Cinder was a beautiful woman with an attitude that spoke of confidence, but she'd never come across as flirtatious, even if it might win her an advantage.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"What can I do?" she asked with a little shrug. "I'll do my best to ignore it and to not encourage her feelings and hope that time convinces her to aim her attention elsewhere. There are plenty of fish in the sea."

"You know, the fact you're willing to do that for her is a sign you care."

"I see the logic but I'm not sure it is," she said. "I'm more concerned about the loss in efficiency than her feelings. I suppose that makes me cruel."

"I don't think so."

Cinder looked up to him, surprised.

"Cruel would be you not caring _and_ saying it to her face. Not returning someone's feelings isn't cruel and choosing not to hurt them – whatever the reason – is the exact opposite. You say it's for efficiency only, and maybe it is, but I bet there are just as efficiency ways that hurt her more."

"Hm. Perhaps." Cinder's finger drummed on the table. "You're saying that there's kindness in apathy, then?"

"I don't know. But there's choosing not to be cruel. It's like hunting an animal. Some people hunt because they must, respect the kill and try to make it painless and only take what they need. Some people enjoy the thrill and like to bleed out the animals, then pose with their dead bodies for pictures."

"A lack of respect. I believe I see your reasoning. Not kind necessarily, but showing respect by choosing not to be a… I suppose you would say not being an asshole."

"That's as good a word as any. If someone comes in and doesn't like my coffee or me, they can be polite and just leave, or they can be an asshole and make it my problem. You're annoyed by how Emerald acts, but you don't tear her to pieces about it. That makes you a better person than some. There are people who would call her disgusting for liking another woman."

"True." Cinder smirked at him over the rim of her glass. "You know, I cannot say I expected us to come and talk about Emerald or her sexuality."

Jaune paused, then broke into laughter. "Me neither!"

They were interrupted by Pierre, who came in with a steaming steak dinner for him and some oyster and seafood combination for Cinder. It smelt delicious and even though the food was an excuse to not talk, they found themselves chatting through it anyway.

"Nothing with Mercury at least?"

"Oh, he can be annoying in his own way. Always baiting Emerald."

"Maybe he likes her."

"I had considered that." Cinder leaned forward, pointing at him with her fork. "I really had, and I thought it might take care of both my problems, albeit creating a new one of me having to leave the room whenever they get in the mood. But Emerald despises him, and Mercury has taken his teasing elsewhere."

Given Ruby's reaction to the name earlier, he had a suspicion where Mercury had gone.

"That a bad thing?" he asked.

"Not to me. Less volume around Emerald. It does mean Emerald has been making doe eyes at me, but I'm used to that. How about you? You've moved in with your girlfriend as I understand."

"It's not like that!"

Cinder covered her mouth and chuckled. "Oh? That's quite the reaction. Has she taken you to bed yet?"

"No!" His red face betrayed him. "N-Not the whole way. We've just slept a little together…"

"Oh. How adorable."

"Alright, fine. Let's all laugh at the seventeen-year-old virgin." He rolled his eyes when she did in fact laugh at him for it. "We can't all be walking around like we stepped straight off the catwalk."

"Are you saying I look like a model?"

"Erk."

"I'm flattered." Cinder laughed again, then a little louder still when Jaune politely moved his plate aside and smashed his forehead against the table. "Don't do that," she chided, using one finger on his forehead to push him back. "Your girlfriend will think that rather than steal you away, I've been torturing you."

"She'd be annoyed you beat her to it. Wasn't I asking you about your home village?"

"Were you?" Cinder looked at him coyly. "I thought you were busy insinuating how much you've been stealing glances in my direction."

"Cinderrrrr!"

/-/

They came out of the restaurant easily an hour later, still chatting away and with Cinder pushing his wheelchair along. The food had been good, the company better, and he didn't feel the same fear he had before. Instead, his new fear was of Cinder's newfound joy in making him squirm.

"You're evil. Completely evil."

"You don't know the half of it, Jaune."

"I think I do, saying those things." He shook his head. "And I don't need advice on how to show Miltia a good time. Don't make me bring up how you and Em-"

"Cinder." A new voice interrupted them, familiar and recognisable as Emerald rushed over with Mercury strolling behind. Cinder muttered something but it was lacking any real heat.

Jaune's eyes were instead focused on something excitedly tugging on a lead, dragging Mercury – or at least trying to drag him – to move toward Cinder faster.

"Dog!" he said, pointing.

"Astute observation, Jaune." Cinder snarked. "You truly are a paragon of attentiveness."

"No, I mean… I mean… dog!"

"Yes." Cinder's smirk grew. "It _is_ a dog. Well done. Mercury, Emerald," she greeted the two politely, then looked down to the white pup staring adoringly up at her. "Snowfall."

Snowfall.

Snow Fall.

"That's so adorable!"

"I do not do adorable…"

"Can I hold him?"

"Of course." Cinder knelt and held out her arms, not so much picking the puppy up as allowing it to mount her shoulders and drape itself there, happily wagging its tail as she stood and moved over to him.

It was wriggly and reluctant, more interested in Cinder than him, but when she left a hand on its head and didn't pull away, it allowed itself to sit in his lap. The little thing looked up at him and poked its nose into his chin to take a sniff, then decided he wasn't Cinder and thus wasn't important.

That didn't stop him running his hands along its soft back and scratching at its chin. It really was a puffy little cloud.

"This is the dog we saw at the pet shop!" he accused her. "You adopted him?"

"I did."

"You didn't tell me!"

"I didn't think to." Cinder didn't sound annoyed, more amused. "He's been staying with us at Beacon. Training him has been surprisingly easy. He's very intelligent." Something in her voice suggested she took personal pride in that, like someone boasting about how smart their child was. "Snowfall, paw."

Snowfall slapped a paw onto her waiting fingers.

"Good. Sit."

He sat.

"Roll over."

Snowfall would have rolled _off_ his legs and onto the pavement if she hadn't steadied him with one hand. Thinking it petting time, he squirmed happily, shaking his tail so hard his lower half swung with it, wriggling in Jaune's lap.

"Good boy," Cinder chuckled, rubbing his belly.

Emerald was shooting the puppy all sorts of jealous looks, which said some rather uncomfortable things about the position she'd like to be in. Jaune tried his hardest not to notice, even if he did feel a little sorry for Cinder. Being the target of someone's affection and unable to return it must have been just as awkward as liking someone and having them not return yours.

It might have seemed cruel that she didn't acknowledge the way Emerald looked at her, but he knew there was some genuine concern for how Emerald would react behind it.

"I suppose we shall have to cut things off here," Cinder said, looking to her team and then to Miltia and Melanie, who were waiting politely a distance away, ready to take him back to the diner to co-ordinate repairs. "Thank you for the time, Jaune. I had… fun."

"So did I. Do you want to do it again sometime?" He hadn't planned the question, but it came out on its own, and he couldn't say he regretted it. "We can bring Snowfall next time and go for a walk."

"He and Cinder would be the only ones walking," Mercury muttered.

Cinder drove an elbow into his side. From how he folded, dropped to his knees and wheezed brokenly, it had not been a soft gesture. He rolled over and struggled for air, utterly poleaxed.

"I'd like that," Cinder said. "I take him for a walk most evenings. If you'd like to join us, you're more than welcome. I'll send you a message before and you can let me know."

"Yeah, sure. I'd like that."

Jaune gave Snowfall one last cuddle before Cinder ushered him off, commanded when he refused, then gave in and let the puppy climb up onto her shoulder. With a nod goodbye, the three walked away, Cinder's back and a happy bit of puppy fluff wagging over her shoulder seeing them off.

That hadn't been so bad.

Wait…

"I forgot to ask her anything about her past or motivations…"

He'd let himself be distracted by talking about Emerald, then Beacon and the festival and every other little thing to cross their minds. He hadn't followed through on a _single bit_ of Ruby and Oobleck's advice.

"Shiiit."

/-/

That had been an unusual experience, Cinder reflected. Spending time with a man for dinner or more wasn't something she was unused to, despite what she'd claimed to Jaune, but this was perhaps the first time she had done so without a clear objective in mind. Normally, she wanted information, resources or the loyalty of the person in question.

Simply spending time with someone and chatting had been a novel experience.

Rather pleasant, too. Talking about Emerald had been relaxing, even if she knew her subordinate would not appreciate her feelings being aired in such a way. It really was a chore to put up with them and it felt nice to get that off her chest, and to have someone who listened and didn't just wash her situation aside as some lesbian fantasy.

That would have been Mercury's response, she was sure. That and a suggestion he be allowed to watch while she fully indulged Emerald's feelings. Cinder scowled at him, even if he hadn't said a word.

"Were you able to find out if he knows anything, ma'am?" Emerald asked. As always, she looked ready do anything she asked without question.

Jaune was right. There were ways she could have crushed and discarded such affection by now. While she wasn't convinced it was a kindness to dance around it as Jaune said, she reflected that she did at the very least respect Emerald enough not to disparage such feelings.

But as for her time with Jaune.

Well, it had been the original goal to test him to see if he knew about her illegal activities, if Roman had welched on them and, reluctantly, to decide whether she should take the unpalatable step of removing Jaune from the picture.

She had prepared all kinds of probing questions, traps and pitfalls for him, even going so far as to prepare a private room where no one would be able to hear him scream. The scene had been set and her team had prepared her alibi in advance.

"Well?" Emerald asked. "Does he know?"

There was no way she was going to admit that she'd failed to test him at all, that she'd gotten lost in teasing, talking and chatting with a friend to the point that she'd forgotten there was a purpose to their meeting in the first place. It had just been nice to be able to rant about things for a chance, to complain and have someone listen, and to drag such embarrassed reactions from him.

It had been uncomplicated.

Dare she say it, relaxing.

"I am not certain. It may require more meetings to be sure."

/-/

Ruby read the text from Jaune saying he was still alive and let out the longest sigh of her fifteen-year-old life. She really did feel too old for this sometimes. Join Beacon, they said. Fight Grimm, they said. Be cool, they didn't say but she totally inferred.

Where in all of that had there been mention of worrying so hard her lungs wanted to give up, climb out her body and run away?

Nowhere! That's where!

It was Yang's fault. If Yang hadn't gone on and on about her making friends, then she wouldn't have tried so hard and become friends with the most accident-prone person in Vale. Okay, that wasn't fair, but still!

If Yang hadn't smashed up a club, she wouldn't have been at Jaune's diner.

"Ugh." Ruby let her head fall onto her arms, crossed in front of her on the library table over the book she was _supposed_ to be reading. In her defence, she'd not gotten a good night's sleep after Jaune's whole `murder-hobo` speech.

The chair beside her drew back. "If that's you, Weiss, then nooo."

The person sat down.

"If it's Mercury, then double no…"

"It's neither," Pyrrha said, giggling. "You look exhausted."

"Good. I feel it."

"Trouble with your team?"

"For once, no." And wasn't that a nice change. "I just-" She broke off to yawn. "Didn't get as much sleep as I wanted. I'm okay. No arguments or anything. Just sleepy."

"That's good." At Ruby's irritated glare, she added, "That there's no deeper meaning to it, I mean." Smiling, she rubbed Ruby's shoulders. "Does this help?"

Ruby refused to admit it felt good.

Great. Invincible girl, championship fighter, kick-ass huntress and now professional masseur. Sure. Why _wouldn't_ Pyrrha be perfect at anything she put her hand to? Hm. That felt good. Nooo, she was stopping. Why? She hadn't said to stop.

"I spoke to Jaune yesterday," Pyrrha said. "He was telling me about how he asked you for advice. Is that what has you so tired?"

"More the fact he rang me up at midnight to ask it."

"Ah, I see. He must have been in dire need."

"You can say that again," Ruby grumbled. "I'm not angry at him. Like I said, I'm just tired. And _someone who shall not be named_ said it would set a bad example for me to sleep in. Someone who sucks."

Stupid Weiss and her stupid `ooh la la, you need to set a good example as team leader`.

Bah!

And Pyrrha was laughing at her. Aaand she'd said that last bit out loud, hadn't she?

"You did," Pyrrha confirmed. "Don't worry, I won't tell her you said."

"Thank youuu. I'm hiding from her. I'm also studying, if she asks…"

"I actually came to find you," Pyrrha said. "Not for Weiss," she added when Ruby's head shot up and she looked around warily, turning several pages as if she was reading at a hundred words per second. "I wanted to ask you something and, well, Jaune said you're the right kind of person to go to for this kind of thing."

He did? Ruby flushed at the warm and fuzzy feelings inside. That was her, Ruby Rose, hero of the people and now the person _Pyrrha Nikos_ came to for help. That was kind of – yawn – awesome. Sleepy, sleepy.

"Sure." Ruby shook her head to wake herself up. "I'll help if I can. What is it?"

"Well."

Pyrrha looked around to make sure they were alone. They were, since Ruby had chosen the darkest and furthest away table from everyone to nap at. It was the kind of place Blake would have come to `study` her `totally normal` books. Seeing they were safe, Pyrrha spoke in a low voice.

"I have this friend…"

Ruby's eye twitched.

"And this friend has this other friend…"

Her eye twitched again. Harder.

"And this other friend came to my friend and told her – my first friend – how there's this power that can maybe make someone really strong, but that if it fell into the wrong hands it could be bad for a lot of people…"

Pyrrha trailed off.

"Go on," Ruby managed, gritting the words out. "I'm listening."

"Are you okay? Your eye is… it's twitching like mad. Do you need a doctor?"

"I'm fine," Ruby lied, fighting the urge to smash her head into the table so hard she knocked herself out. "I'm more than fine. I'm totally awesome. So, Pyrrha, tell me about this _friend_ of yours."

"Okay, so this second friend wanted the first friend to have this power to keep it safe, but that it would make her a target to bad people, and this other friend – a third friend – had been hurt by them before, and I – I mean my friend – isn't sure about whether she wants this power…"

* * *

 **Jaune discovers the power of just being a face to talk to, Cinder discovers the power of getting shit off her chest and Ruby discovers just how many people can annoy her with the `friend of a friend` conversation.**

 **And poor Emerald. I don't actually think she feels that way in the show, but she obviously does idolise Cinder a little. I won't say I ship it, but I'll say I** _ **could**_ **ship it if it was written well and included.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 9** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	49. Chapter 49

**Here we are**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 49**

* * *

 _Jaune's_ came back to life for the third time.

It was the `Grand Re-Opening`, though that term lost a little of its lustre considering it had been re-opened twice already, once after the robbery and now after the Grimm. Still, people turned up if only to wish him well. Jaune sat in his wheelchair still but had been able to stand earlier and shake a few hands, at least for an hour or two.

There were a lot of well-wishers to get through. Cinder was among them. She'd come with a sly smile and a few words, then retreated to the corner with a coffee and a book she'd picked up from a local store. She seemed happy enough, so he let her be, focusing on more and more people coming to see with their own eyes whether he was really open or not.

Velvet and Russel were handling the hard work, of course. And for once, it wasn't Miltia keeping an eye on him, but Blake of all people. He couldn't say he was sure why. Miltia and Melanie were exhausted since a fight had broken out in the club – something stupid about two guys who both decided a girl dancing with them once was a contract, then got into a scrap with the other when _they_ dared dance with her – and the twins were sleeping off the one-sided brawl that had ensued.

He still wasn't sure why it was Blake, though. Maybe Ruby was still annoyed at him for all the lectures she'd had to sit through. He watched Blake sit on the counter and start to read a book, ignoring the world around her as she turned one page after the next.

Black hair, yellow eyes, sarcastic smirks and now, apparently, a shared interest in reading material. If Cinder had cat ears, he'd have called them twins.

His attention was stolen away before he could think on it.

"I see you're back on your feet, Mr Arc. Glad to see it."

"Ah. General Ironwood."

There was something bizarre about such a large man flanked by two guards and a woman who _had_ to be Weiss' sister – he refused to believe such hair colours could exist anywhere else – walking into his diner. Predictably, they drew a lot of attention, both from the average joes, the huntsman and also Cinder. It ought to have been intimidating, especially with him in a wheelchair.

"How was your date with Glynda?"

"Wonderful. We dined at a lovely restaurant, caught up with one another and then had a walk around Vale." There was more than a hint of colour to his face that suggested the night might not have ended there, or that if it had, there had been an intimate moment. "We've agreed to go out again this Friday."

The woman behind him coughed meaningfully and Ironwood straightened.

"Ah, yes. Is there a table free for my associates and me? You've met Winter before, of course, but I don't believe I formally introduced you."

He hadn't. Their last meeting had been little more than Ironwood breaking a table and Winter compensating him.

"Charmed." Winter extended a hand which he shook. "I understand that Weiss continues to frequent your establishment. I hope you are not taking advantage of her name."

"I… don't think I have."

"Winter, I'm sure your sister would let you know if that were the case." Ironwood scouted a table and nudged one of his guards, who moved to claim it. "I'll have an Atlesian Black, no sugar. Same for my guards." Jaune saw the remaining guard grimace. "Winter. How about you?"

"Standard coffee will suffice."

Standard? What the heck was standard? "I'll bring something over."

"It doesn't need to be you," Ironwood said. "You're recovering."

"I need something to do or I'll go insane."

"Not a man who likes to be idle, I take it. I can respect that. Don't make your condition worse, however." Ironwood laughed and led Winter and his remaining guard aside. On seeing him sit down and the four of them chat normally, the other patrons decided that there wasn't any drama or entertainment about to go down and went back to their own matters.

Jaune wheeled himself behind the counter, Blake following and only paying half as much attention as she ought to. She was also supposed to be pushing him, but he didn't mind. It was a pain to be babied so much.

"You're remarkably relaxed around such a powerful person," she said.

"He's just any other customer when he's here." Jaune took some beans off the shelf and began to mix then. "I think I'd be nervous if it was official business, but until he shows that he's the same as a hundred other customers I've served in any given day."

"In this battlefield, you're the one in command?"

Jaune laughed. "That's a dramatic way of saying I'm just doing my job."

"I'm reading a dramatic story," Blake admitted, closing the book. "The prose seeps in. I thought you didn't serve Atlesian Black? In fact, I think your words were `people deserve to be paid for having to drink that tripe, not to pay me to serve it`."

"And I stick to my ideals there."

"What do you serve him?"

"Something strong. A mix of blends. I use darker beans to make the coffee look black and then give it to him."

"And he never notices?"

"He says it's `the best Atlesian Black he's ever tasted` and I don't correct him. At this point I'm not sure if it isn't masochistic patriotism."

"It might be," Blake said, chuckling softly. "Or maybe he has to be seen to favour Atlas. He _is_ one of the most prominent figures of the Kingdom. Trade deals and public perception are important. Every Kingdom wants to be seen as best in their chosen field. Atlas produces the greatest technology and dust. Vacuo is famous for spices, silks and holidays. Vale trains the best huntsmen and huntresses."

"And Mistral?"

"Porn."

Jaune stopped to stare.

"They have some interesting foods as well," Blake admitted, "But mostly it's the porn."

"Riiight…" He wasn't sure if he was supposed to believe her or not. She sounded dead serious. "I've been to Mistral once or twice when I was younger, but never Atlas or Vacuo. You're quite well-travelled."

"Thanks to my prior employment."

"Yeah. I can imagine. You didn't settle down much?"

"Adam and I were young when we first joined and despite what you may have heard, we weren't an entirely remorseless group. No one wanted to send children into battle, so we worked in logistics and trained. We also got chances to travel around Remnant, though. Usually to show a kinder face to the organisation and to appeal to faunus in other Kingdoms."

Blake was watching her words in case anyone listened in. "You've visited all the Kingdoms, then?"

"I have." She sounded proud of the fact. "Atlas is cold, Vacuo is hot, Mistral is wet and Vale alternates between all three."

"Is that why you chose to come here?"

"Not really. My train just stopped in Vale. Call it fate. What do you think of Weiss' sister?"

It was an obvious change in conversation, but it was probably meant as one. Blake didn't waste time with the subtle hints.

"Polite, disciplined, a little judgemental." He shrugged. "I've met her before actually, but she only spared enough words to interrogate me on why Jacques Schnee lent me his personal lawyer. She's pushy, but I've served worse. The `standard coffee` line loses her about a thousand points with me, but I've seen the type before. Most people who come here don't actually realise how many different blends there are."

"Hm. We didn't." Blake watched him curiously. "Do you know she slapped Weiss?"

"Huh?"

"Winter," she explained. "Ruby was the first to meet her, Weiss taking her to greet her when she landed. Ruby came back later and told us that one of the first things Winter did upon landing was to slap Weiss across the face."

"What?" He turned, face serious. "You're sure?"

"I don't think Ruby would lie. She _did_ say that Weiss didn't make a big deal of it and didn't seem too hurt."

That didn't make it any better, did it? He couldn't think of any situation in which one of his sisters would slap him and he'd act like it was normal. Sure, if he did something stupid and they got angry then they might, but then it was understandable, wasn't it? They were angry and lashing out. That didn't make it _okay_ , but it made sense. They'd both know why it happened, both feel horrible and he couldn't think of a single one of his sisters who wouldn't apologise for it after.

Had Winter apologised? Probably not by the sound of it – and Weiss considered it normal. It didn't sound like something Weiss thought deserved an apology, but something like that to him would have been reserved for the worst of sins. Maybe if he'd gone and done something truly horrid, he'd think himself worth a crack across the cheek.

He couldn't imagine Weiss having done something that bad to her sister. Not something that couldn't be fixed with words. This was Weiss for crying out loud. She was the posterchild for intelligent and reasoned discourse.

Was it an Atlas thing? A family thing? What kind of family slapped one another?

"That's messed up…"

"It is." Blake might have been a _little_ biased, being a faunus, but he also detected some genuine concern for a teammate she considered a friend. "Yang tried to talk to her about it, but Weiss laughed it off and said she shouldn't have acted so disrespectfully in front of her sister."

It sounded like a Schnee thing, then. He'd thought Weiss was the heiress, though. Something about Winter Schnee having given up the role when she joined the military. Weiss had mentioned it once over coffee. But then, if that were the case then what was the point? If Winter wasn't a part of the SDC anymore then what right did she have to criticise how Weiss acted?

"I really don't understand them…"

"Me neither, and I'm her teammate. I wouldn't make a big deal of it. Weiss says it's okay so I suppose it is, but I think if she tried it again, we'd step in. I don't think Ruby or Yang will care if it's a blow given with Weiss' best interests in mind or not." And though she didn't say it, he had a feeling she would step in as well.

"Thanks for telling me, then. This'll make serving her that much more complicated."

Blake smirked. "Maybe I'm hoping you'll poison her drink."

"Don't tempt me. She already ordered `standard` coffee. Standard. That's like a chef asking how you like your steak and you answer `basic`. What does that even mean?" He grumbled and mixed the mildest cup of coffee he could. No sweetness, no bitterness, no sugar, no kick. "My masterpiece," he said, holding it up. "And I shall call it `Boring Blend Number One`."

Blake golf-clapped politely.

Balancing a tray in his lap, he wheeled himself back to their table alone, Blake predictably wanting little to do with Atlas or the Schnee family outside of Weiss. As he closed in, one of the guards saw him and stood quickly, taking the tray to make life easier. If nothing else, Atlas soldiers were polite to a fault.

"Thanks." He wheeled up. "The three white mugs are Atlesian Black and the green one is Miss Schnee's ` _standard_ ` coffee."

Ironwood took his and sniffed of the aroma, then took a sip. "Ah. Wonderful. There's nothing quite like Atlesian Black to usher in the day. Come. Drink. Jaune makes the best Atlesian Black this side of Atlas."

The soldiers obviously didn't agree, looking down on their drinks with the kind of defeatism reserved for civilians standing before a Grimm horde. Under the watchful eyes of their General, however, there was little they could do but gingerly pick up the mugs and bring them to their lips.

To a one, they stiffened. Eyes flashed to Jaune from under their visors.

He nodded back.

"It's good Atlesian Black," the one who'd taken the tray said. "Very good."

"Agreed," his fellow replied. "Maybe we could bring him back to Atlas with us." It was a plea as much as a joke. Jaune could read the desperation in that gaze and knew these poor souls would be doomed to Atlesian Black once the Festival was over.

"I think Ozpin would declare war if I tried that," Ironwood said. "How is yours, Winter?"

The woman lowered her mug to its saucer. "Adequate."

Jaune's eye twitched. Strike one, slap Weiss. Strike two, standard coffee. Strike three, adequate. Not everyone could be saved. In a world with so much hate and death, some people had to be left behind. Next time she came in, he was letting _Blake_ make her coffee.

"How go the preparations for the festival?" he asked Ironwood, ignoring Winter entirely.

"Good. Very good. Amity is all but ready. There are a few minor things to iron out – the opening ceremony and festival for example – but that's mostly waiting for the various academies to decide on what they want to do and let us know. We can't prepare otherwise."

"Is Ozpin dragging his feet?"

"No. We have Beacon's plans courtesy of Glynda. Honestly, it's Haven being slow."

Cinder and her team were pretending to be from Haven. He wondered if that was related.

"Going to give them a kick up the rear?"

"I'm going to let the time limit run down," Ironwood countered. "I've already told them if I don't have the plans in three days' time, the ceremony will be going ahead without them. I intend to show Lionheart I'm a man of my word."

Lionheart presumably being the one in charge of Haven. Jaune hummed, not understanding the little details but getting the big picture. That was what service was like sometimes; you had to talk with loads of different people about a range of topics, many of which you didn't understand. The trick wasn't to pretend you did. That was a mistake he'd made early, trying to keep up with conversations he had no experience in.

People quickly noticed that. If they were talking about law, politics or even the sciences, then _they_ were the experts. The thing was, they weren't often expecting you to be an expert. They were willing to explain if you asked. By pretending you understood when you didn't, you were just making a fool of yourself and suggesting they were idiots. With that in mind, Jaune didn't feel stupid for asking a question.

"Wouldn't that be a diplomatic incident?"

"It's not as bad as it sounds," Ironwood happily explained. "Vytal Festival is actually a competition between academies. Yes, people extrapolate it to the Kingdoms but that's only because everyone loves a chance to win bragging rights."

"Put like that, it sounds kind of childish. I thought this was to honour or avoid wars."

"It is in theory. The original idea was to gather to commemorate and celebrate the peace agreement – but also to bring people to other Kingdoms. It's easy to see people from Mistral or Vacuo as strange and alien people when you've never met them, but by creating the tournament, you encourage people to travel and sample one another's cultures. It helps them see that we're not all so different."

"But it doesn't always work?" he asked, reading between the lines.

"Not always. I think the creators of it underestimated the human desire for conflict, or maybe they were tired after the war and thought that everyone would remain that way. That's the nature of people, sadly. A great conflict happens, people say they will never forget and never make the same mistakes again, then a decade or three passes and people have forgotten and lo and behold, history repeats itself."

"But the fact we do the festival is proof they remember."

"You'd think. People remember days and celebrate them because they're expected to. They rarely look at the deeper reasons behind them, or the lessons the founders were so desperately trying to teach us. Nowadays, the Vytal Festival is less a reminder of the atrocities of war and the importance of avoiding it than it is a chance for one Kingdom to one-up another. Crowds bay for blood and bet on their favourite fighters, then immediately begin to make excuses for why _their_ Kingdom lost afterwards." Ironwood rolled his eyes. "Those can range from accusations of cheating to favourable terrain layout, jetlag or political interference."

Ugh. That sounded stupid. Jaune wasn't one for sports most of the time, but he knew enough about how some people would support their teams way too hard. A little competition was fine, but he'd seen friends almost come to blows over which team was better.

Add in national pride, fierce combat and gambling, and it was bound to be ten times worse.

"Wow." he said. "You've actually killed my excitement for the festival. Thanks."

"Then my work is done," Ironwood said, chuckling. Jaune doubted many people got to see him like this. It was a treat. "Seriously though, the Vytal Festival is still a good thing. I'm pointing out flaws with a view to fixing them, not as a way of saying how pointless it is."

"I get it. You can't improve if you don't acknowledge your weaknesses, right?"

"Correct. Too many people refuse to admit they have a problem. Stubborn pride helps no one."

It certainly hadn't helped him. Really, his parents had told him he wouldn't get into Beacon, yet he'd gone for it anyway, not even having aura. What an idiot he'd been. Looking back, he could have avoided a lot of pain if he'd been willing to listen.

"Does that count for you as well?" Jaune had to ask.

"That is hardly appropriate," Winter Schnee snapped.

"Winter." Ironwood silenced her with a hand on her wrist. "It does count for me, yes." Slowly, he peeled back the glove of one hand, revealing the metal beneath. Jaune's eyes widened, suddenly realising just why Ironwood had broken a table without meaning to. "Everyone makes a mistake at some point in their life. Everyone fails and is beaten down. The true measure of a person is whether they can get up again afterward, and whether they learn from it."

Ironwood's lips tugged up.

"That's why I was so pleased to see you back and running your diner despite what happened. Though I have to say, refusing to retreat to the shelter was a foolish move."

Concern? Was this why Ironwood had come?

"I know. But there was an elderly couple…"

"I've heard." Ironwood leaned his arms on the table. "It was actually Glynda who told me."

"Erk. I didn't ruin your date, did I?"

"No. This was at the after-crisis meeting."

After-crisis? Oh, for the breach. Come to think of it, the Council, Atlas and Ozpin had probably had a load of meetings and discussions since, either planning how to prevent another disaster like it, pushing for the White Fang to be hunted down or just trying to figure out where it had all gone wrong.

"It was while we were listing through casualties," Ironwood explained. "Glynda found your name and was quite alarmed, not only for your sake, I believe, but out of concern for what it would do the students' morale."

"Wait. Am I a banner or something?"

"Something like that." Ironwood laughed again. "But no, it's more that you're one of the few civilians that the students of Beacon interact with. Huntsmen protect civilians, but given that they go to huntsman schools, huntsman academies and naturally hang around with huntsman friends, it's often the case that they don't interact with many non-huntsman individuals. It's no exaggeration to say that some students might even forget the average person doesn't have aura."

Yang. And, to a lesser extent, Ruby.

" _I'm worried about you. You're my friend. My really squishy civilian friend."_

He hadn't thought of how big a difference that was before. Back when huntsmen started to make his diner their haunt, he'd seen the evidence of civilians moving away and heard some raise concerns of accidental damage and harm. He'd thought the sentiment was one-way; that civilians would be uneasy around huntsman but that there was no way it might work in reverse.

But it did. Huntsmen could rest easy knowing their friends were safe from Grimm, because they were all huntsmen themselves. He wasn't, and Ruby had only just begun to realise how fragile he really was.

A single Grimm, a single bullet, and he would die.

It was hard for him to think that strange – people died when they were shot, after all – but to Ruby, it _was_ strange. How many bullets had she taken on her aura? Hell, they sparred in Beacon on a daily basis and she had a scythe that was a sniper rifle. Every member of Team RWBY, bar Weiss, had guns in one form or another. Weiss didn't. Which was odd given that her sword literally had a revolver on the hilt.

To them, guns were toys and Grimm were pests.

Their worlds really were different.

"Is that what you wanted to tell me?" he asked Ironwood. "That I need to take more care of my life because there are people who would be hurt if I died? Is that why you came?"

"I'd like to say it was, but I really just came for the best Atlesian Black I've ever tasted."

 _That's because it's not Atlesian Black,_ Jaune, Winter and the two soldiers longed to yell.

"I suppose the lesson just sort of slipped out. It's something the military faces as well. We accept and get used to the idea that death can claim us, to the point that it can be difficult to explain to our loved ones just why we do what we do. I try to teach my people to think of it from the point of view of the civilians. This is the first time I've ever had to tell a civilian to think about a huntsman's point of view, but the lesson works."

It was heavy thinking. Ironwood let him go to consider it on his own and Jaune wheeled his way back to the counter, sitting behind it while Blake read her book. He knew people would be hurt if he died; that was obvious.

"Is it true?" he asked Blake.

"Hm? What?"

"Is Ruby scared of losing me?"

"Yes."

"Why…?"

"It's not just Ruby either. Yang is worried, as is Weiss. As am I." At his shocked reaction, Blake sighed. "I consider you a friend, Jaune. You looked after me when I needed it and helped me locate the White Fang. You brought my team back together."

"I really didn't. Ruby, Yang and Weiss were looking for you. They'd have accepted you if you just went back on your own."

"I know, but that doesn't mean you didn't help. I'll admit that my reaction wasn't as _extreme_ when I head about your injury, but I've seen friends die before."

"Extreme…?"

"I guess she wouldn't have said…"

"What?" he asked. "Who?"

Blake hesitated. That more than anything had him on edge; it wasn't like her to mix words or be anything other than blunt. She ran a hand through her hair and put her book away, letting him know without words just how serious this was.

"We arrived too late to stop the attack. By the time we got to Vale, the Grimm were just about cleared up but there were still some around. We moved to intercept, doing whatever we could. There were a lot of bodies."

"I'm so-"

"I was used to it," she interrupted. "I've seen scenes like that before. Not just from what I used to be, but because we spent a lot of time outside the major cities. You get to see life in the countryside, as short and brutal as that can be. Sometimes we'd arrive at a village to try and protect the faunus there, only to arrive too late. Entire villages reduced to graveyards. This wasn't that bad. Not even close. But I guess to Weiss, Yang and Ruby, it was. They'd never seen anything like it."

"Ruby took it the worst. You know how she is, always wanting to look after everyone. She heard some Grimm and chased after them. We followed. She's quick, though, so we had to follow her trail instead of her. Eventually, we found her." Blake nodded her head toward the entrance. "Outside there and on her knees."

Jaune swallowed nervously. "Was she okay?"

"Not really." Blake pulled no punches. "You left your sword behind when Miltia took you away. Or she did. Not that I can blame her. Ruby found your diner, windows smashed in, your sword on the floor and blood everywhere. She'd already charged in when we caught up. She was screaming and crying and digging through broken glass with her bare hands."

His head fell into one hand. He could imagine it all too easily, and the image left him sick.

"We tried to drag her out but couldn't. She just kept digging, determined to find you. I don't know if you realised, but you were wearing your apron when the attack happened. The Grimm must have torn it off, because she found that. Dragged it out from glass and broken furniture stained red with blood." Blake sighed. "She just… sort of broke. Collapsed on her side holding onto it and crying her heart out."

"Fuck." There were tears in his eyes now. "I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be." Blake laid a hand on his shoulder. "Seriously, Jaune, what were you supposed to do? Leave a note saying the Grimm attacked you, you're badly hurt but just popping out to the hospital? BRB soon? Just tape that to the door while you're bleeding out on the pavement? You couldn't have expected Ruby to come along any more than you could the Grimm in the first place."

Blake snorted, amused despite the sombre topic. "You were attacked. Surviving it was the best gift you could have given her, and when she found out you were okay it was like a light was switched." Blake flipped her hand. "Total mental breakdown to biggest high I've ever seen. She was bouncing off the walls. Still crying, but this time crying from happiness.

He still felt bad. He wasn't sure if that was Blake's intent or not, but even though he'd known everyone had been worried about him, he hadn't considered to what degree that might be. He just assumed everyone knew he was okay because Miltia told them.

"I didn't know…"

"Ruby never told you. Never saw the point, I guess. It only happened because she thought you were dead, and then you weren't. I'm only telling you because… well, I don't want to see that again." Her eyes were haunted. "It was bad, Jaune. Really bad."

"I can guess…"

"No, you can't. I've never seen Ruby like that. I never imagined she could _be_ like that. I know a little about them from Yang. I know their mom died. I thought it was something they were over, but I guess they took it in different ways. Ruby already lost one person. Makes sense she'd not want to lose another."

"But she's acting so normal."

"Is she?" Blake laughed. "Come on, Jaune. Open your eyes a little. Why do you think I'm here on my own?"

Judging by the question, it wasn't for his stellar conversational skills. Come to think of it, he really didn't need someone to push his wheelchair when Russel and Velvet were working today. In fact, there was no reason for Blake to be there at all, not to mention she clearly wanted to be somewhere quiet where she could read.

"Ruby ordered you to watch me."

"Ordered is a strong term. It was really more her trying to do everything on her own, and us deciding she couldn't completely sacrifice her education to watch over you twenty-four seven."

He winced. "It's that bad?"

"It's that bad _now_. It's only been a week since it happened. Give her time – and avoid nearly dying again," Blake added sternly. "And I'm sure she'll get over it. But right now, yes, you should probably expect to have a bodyguard where possible, or for Ruby to call you multiple times a day to reassure herself you're okay."

"Isn't there any way I can help her?"

"Stay out of trouble." Blake said it immediately. When he opened his mouth to argue, she cut him off with a shake of her head. "I'm serious, Jaune. Ruby needs time to see you'll be okay. That's all she needs. Short of you pulling out hitherto undiscovered swordplay, a Semblance and advanced huntsman training, nothing you can say is going to convince her you'll be safe."

"You. Nearly. Died." Blake stressed each word. "Ruby thought you _were_ dead, and probably blamed herself for not stopping the train that caused it. Even if she was wrong, she tasted what losing you felt like – and trust me, she didn't like it."

 _And then I went and told her about Cinder. No wonder she sounded so stressed._

"What should I do? Should I apologise?"

"No. Absolutely not. Do that and you'll hurt her. You did nothing wrong," she stressed. "Getting to hospital was the right decision. It was all just a horrible mistake that Ruby arrived in time to jump to the worst conclusion. No one is to blame for that."

"I still want to help her, though. Isn't there anything I can do?"

"Not getting in trouble is a good first step. And maybe spending a little more time with her. Show her that things are okay, and nothing is wrong. Right now, she's just in full panic mode. Give her time to calm down and please don't snap at her if she's clingy or protective."

"I wouldn't…"

"I know. I'm just driving the point home."

"You're really worried about her as well," he said. "Aren't you?"

Blake nodded. "I've seen a lot of things. But that, the way Ruby was… I don't want to see that again."

He didn't either.

"Do you think it's a good idea for huntsmen and civilians to mix? I always thought it was but… I don't know now. It seems so hard, like we live in completely different worlds." To them, anything outside the walls was death. To the huntsmen, it was an average day.

How were they supposed to mix? Could they? It was like comic book superheroes walking around in costume and everyone having to take the bus, work and eat in the same restaurants as them. Try as they might to act normal and try as you might to see them that way, they were different.

"I think it's hard," Blake said carefully. "But I think it's no different from asking faunus and humans to mix peacefully."

"We've seen how poorly that has worked."

"Yes, but we shouldn't stop trying. Nothing good in life is easy."

/-/

Jaune was laid on his side in bed, head on a cushion and his scroll propped up in front of him. It was off for now. He'd been staring at it for a few minutes, trying to decide if this was a good idea. It was late but not too late – around nine-thirty. Russel and Velvet would have closed shop by now and he was back at the Club, along in his room since Miltia was working. His legs were getting better but no one wanted to test that up and down a flight of stairs.

For the third time, his fingers reached for the scroll and then retreated.

 _Why am I so nervous? It's not like this is new._ He knew why, of course. Hard not to. Guilt and anxiety gnawed away at him, made worse because if there was one thing he was bad at, it was handling delicate issues like this.

Ignoring the issue wouldn't make it go away. Biting the bullet, he pressed call.

" _Jaune!?"_ Ruby answered after the second ring, face appearing on the scroll. She looked worried, though that quickly faded when she saw him. _"Oh no. This isn't another `friend-scenario`. It can't be. I can't handle another."_

"What? No, no, I'm fine."

" _Really?"_

"Yeah." He laughed, relaxing a little. "I'm actually in bed. Today was kinda exhausting."

" _Why I told – I mean, Blake offered to come help out."_

"Blake did fine," he said, not wanting to get her in trouble. "It's just me not being used to working so long. Have to get back into the groove. I missed you today. Were you busy?"

" _Ugh. Yeah. I wanted to come but I might have not done some homework I was supposed to."_ Ruby pulled a face. He could see her bare shoulders and a black strap, which meant she was in her sleepwear. He thought he could make out her bed too. _"I only got it done a few hours ago."_

"Everything is okay, then?"

" _Sure."_ Ruby's face suddenly jolted. _"No, wait – you told Pyrrha to come talk to me about a problem she had."_

"I did?" He was sure he hadn't. "When?"

" _You didn't? But she said… ugh. Unless she meant. N-Never mind. It's still your fault, though. You put the idea in her head and now everyone is coming to me because their `friends` have issues. Since when am I a student counsellor? I'm not even being paid for this."_

"It wasn't anything too hard, was it? Maybe I can help."

" _Nah, I think it's okay."_ Ruby's tension looked to have faded now that she knew he wasn't in trouble. _"I don't think Pyrrha would like if I told you, but I basically said she should ask for more information and then talk to her team about it. I think she was happy with that."_

"Sounds like you give good advice."

" _Do I? Talking with your team sounds so obvious, though."_

It kind of was, but that was the thing about having problems; sometimes you couldn't see the easy way out. "You still helped. Maybe you _should_ start charging."

" _Hm. I don't want to charge to help people."_

"Then you've no one to blame but yourself."

" _Meanie. You still owe me a favour. You should be trying to get on my good side so I don't make it something embarrassing."_

"Don't make me slip coffee in your coffee."

Ruby gasped at the threat. _"You wouldn't!"_

"I wouldn't." He laughed it off with Ruby joining in a second later. "You're okay, though? I was kind of worried when you didn't come down. Thought something had happened to you."

" _Mm. I'm okay. I'm a huntress."_

Blake's point was implicit in the way Ruby said that, as if by being a huntress she was letting him know he didn't need to worry about her. It implied that the same wasn't true in reverse, and that only a huntress or huntsman could be trusted to look after themselves. He'd have been offended if he wasn't aware it was her fear of losing him talking.

"Glad to hear it, huntress, but I'm pretty sure there's an `in-training` added on there."

" _Meh. Still a huntress."_ Ruby stuck her tongue out. _"I beat you there."_

Once upon a time that might have hurt. It didn't now. It didn't sting at all, and Ruby knew it. "You did," he said, smiling easily at the scroll. "Hey, Ruby…"

" _Hmm?"_

"You're my best friend. You know that, right?"

Ruby's face turned a pretty shade of pink, and though she was embarrassed she smiled through it. _"You're mine as well."_

"I beat Weiss?"

" _Met you first."_ Ruby said it quietly. Either embarrassed to admit it or unwilling to say something that might upset her partner. _"And you're nicer,"_ she whispered, even quieter still. _"Don't tell Weiss I said that."_

Jaune mimed a zipping motion over his lips.

Ruby giggled.

"We'll still be friends once you graduate as well. You'll be a kick-ass huntress and I'll have my café. You need to keep visiting, though. I don't want you to go off on all those adventures without letting me know you're safe. I'd worry."

" _Don't be silly. I'm a huntress."_

"Huntresses can die, Ruby." His words made her freeze. "It's not just us civilians who do that."

" _Y-Yeah…"_ Ruby knew it. Knew it from Summer. _"I'll visit all the time, I promise. And I'll call you every time a mission is over, so you know I'm okay. I'll tell you stories of how cool I was over cake and drinks. You'll be amazed."_

"I'm sure I will be."

The words were on the tip of his tongue. He blurted them out.

"Love you."

Ruby's face was red. Her smile was beautiful.

" _I love you too."_

There was no misunderstanding there. No confused feelings between them. Ruby smiled at him and he smiled back, both knowing exactly what the other meant. It was a weight lifted and, he hoped, one for her as well. If nothing else, it was reassurance he was still there.

"I should go. Busy day tomorrow."

" _Yeah. I was going to come down."_

To check up on him. To watch him like a hawk. He knew it, but he wouldn't make any move to stop her, or call her on it.

"I'll save you a seat." He grinned. "And I hope you enjoyed the cakes."

" _Cakes…?"_

"The cakes I sent back with Blake. I gave her four slices."

" _She didn't come back with any cake…"_

It took her three or four seconds to realise what that meant. Ruby's smile fell. Her face vanished from the scroll. She's forgotten to end the call, however, and as the scroll fell on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, Jaune heard shouting from below.

" _BLAAAKE!"_

* * *

 **Poor Ruby. No cakes for you.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 23** **rd** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	50. Chapter 50

**It goes without saying that Cinder, Adam and some other characters are different from canon in this story. I thought that was obvious a long ago (and it probably was to most readers) but have had some people saying it again and again lately and calling them OOC. To that I can only say… "Well yeah, obviously". This is a heavily character-based story and I can't really use canon Cinder and Adam because they're frankly caricatures.**

 **If I wrote them literally as RT shows them, Adam would have killed Jaune already for the sole purpose of spiting Blake, while Cinder wouldn't even be here. Coffee isn't required for her "evil master plan" so it doesn't matter.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 50**

* * *

Adam stared at the shop across the street.

Jaune's was open again; remarkable given what happened only a week or so before. It wasn't the first day of their re-opening, but it was the first day he'd found the strength to come take a look at it with a few of his associates.

The diner was packed. Aside from the coffee and the nostalgia, a reason for that was Weiss Schnee singing from a small platform at the back. It had been a while since the girl performed, or so he was led to understand. Certainly didn't feel like the absence had cost her anything. While the vocals were a little raw, that was likely due to lack of acoustics more than her.

It was a lively song accompanied with backing track from a stereo. More karaoke than anything, but when your diner was playing host to karaoke from a famous singer, that tended to attract attention. People were crowding outside now that the interior was full.

"Fuck'n Schnee," the faunus beside him said. "We should do someth'n about her."

"In front of so many people?" another asked. "Unwise. We could have some people visit this place later, though. Show them what happens when they consort with the wrong kind."

Adam's hands tensed. "And who, pray tell, are the wrong kind?"

If the man from before heard the note of warning in Adam's voice, he was brave to ignore it. More likely, he was perilously ignorant. "Schnee," he said. "And others who deal with them. Actions have consequences and they have to learn that."

"People have called _us_ the wrong kind before. Where do we draw the line?"

"In Schnee blood."

The others guffawed and slapped hands together at what they saw as a clever comment. Adam's shoulders rose and fell, eyes closing as he took a breath and counted to ten. He let his hand slip away from his weapon.

"We will do no such thing. This location is to be unharmed."

"What?" the faunus rounded on him. "Why?"

"Because they _hire_ faunus for one," he said, indicating the long ears of Velvet Scarlatina inside as she placed some mugs down on a table. "Secondly, because this diner is well-known for its charity, and our reputation would be tarnished for striking at it."

"Some brothers and sisters will always roll over and expose their bellies for humans. We just need to show them the proper way. As for reputation, it's not like we're trying to cultivate a good one ourselves. Is it? If people fear us, that's good."

"Thirdly," Adam gritted out, tired of their bravado, "If you even attempt it, I shall kill you."

The faunus froze, ashen.

"And if I do not find you first, our allies will. They are quite fond of this place, as am I." He swept his eyes over them, freezing their blood solid. "You'd all do well to remember that we created the White Fang to bring an end to prejudice, not to propagate it ourselves. Humans aren't our enemies. Just _some_ humans. Some Governments."

They watched him nervously, voices for once quiet and tongues licking their lips nervously. None of them dared speak for a moment, though that spell was broken when Adam tore his eyes away, looking back through the window of the diner.

"Adam's place?" someone asked nervously.

"Makes sense, right? Everyone needs a place to chill."

"Heh. I have a takeout I'd not want to bomb either."

They laughed. They made their excuses.

They didn't understand…

 _I was never the best at explaining myself,_ he thought. _Actions are easy but words are hard. Maybe if I'd been better at communicating my feelings, you'd still be here, Blake._

Not that he thought she would be happier than she was now. He saw her clapping for her teammate, a Schnee, with a small smile on her face. One that once-upon-a-time been reserved only for him. She'd never been the most expressive of people. That small smile, like she was sharing a secret with you, was all she would let show.

He'd cherished it.

Blake looked happy. That was good, he supposed. There was a part of him that wondered if he'd have been happy as well if Blake had given him the chance to leave with her. Another part that wondered if he'd have taken it. In the end, it didn't matter. Blake hadn't given him the choice. She hadn't asked his feelings and whether he ever doubted the cause as much as she apparently did.

Truthfully, he wasn't sure he could have left. Blake had jumped off the train before it crashed, but he felt like the driver. He was the one in charge. Wasn't it the captain's job to go down with the ship, or at least to try and steady it? If the one in charge jumped off the train, what happened to all those still trapped onboard?

They died. Obviously.

In a way, he both admired and hated Blake for her decision. He admired her ability to leave all of it behind and move on; that showed strength of character. He admired her morals, her determination and her resilience.

He hated her selfishness. There were many people currently in the White Fang who he and Blake had recruited. Friends from Menagerie, admirers and those they'd inspired – people like Ilia, but so many others beside her. They'd joined because they trusted Blake and him. In throwing all that away, she'd casually thrown away any responsibility she felt she held over their lives. Or maybe she just didn't care. They weren't as lucky as her and had been looking to her for leadership. Now, they were lost, trapped on a train hurtling toward a crash and wondering why the person they'd respected and trusted to help them was running off in the other direction.

Blake was all too happy to admit she'd made mistakes and to try and fix that, but only so far as it benefitted her. If she really wanted to fix things, she'd try and fix the White Fang. Instead, she ran. Ran and hid and sat in a diner laughing with her friends while those she left behind rushed toward disaster, and he, the last remaining of them, tried his hardest to mitigate it.

Maybe if she'd stayed, they could have stopped this together. But she hadn't. Her happiness was more important. Blake could walk away, say she was sorry, and everyone would forgive her. Never mind the people who died – faunus and otherwise – because of her actions. She'd changed. As in, she'd decided she'd changed and that was apparently enough for everyone.

Adam chuckled. He wasn't as over her as he liked to think and little moments of impotent rage like this proved it. He shook his head and sighed, trying to let the matter go. What was done was done and nothing was going to change that. Blake had made her decision and he'd made his. She had jumped ship.

He'd stayed to try and make sure it didn't crash into an iceberg and kill everyone onboard.

 _I'm trying to change course, but these people don't make it easy,_ he thought with a glower for his laughing comrades. Amateurs. Hobby-terrorists. They weren't like the veterans back in the White Fang who knew what they were fighting for, when to strike, how and when to fall back. These fools were locals from Vale – a fairly faunus peaceful Kingdom – with a chip on their shoulders and something to prove.

That was a dangerous combination, especially with Cinder's plans for them. _Plans I agreed to,_ he reminded himself. _Stupid of me, letting self-pity and anger over Blake do my thinking for me._

He wasn't going to win her back like that. He wasn't sure he wanted to.

Whatever her reasons and whatever they'd been before, the strong bonds of trust they'd once relied on were shattered forever. Blake didn't trust him enough to bear her doubts and tell him the truth, and he no longer trusted her to listen to him with an open mind. With such mutual doubt, there really was no hope of reconciliation.

And really, since when had `we're both terrorists` been a good reason to start dating in the first place? Maybe they'd been idiots to even try. Maybe they hadn't even loved each other at all, and it was just them seeking a small glimmer of familiar comfort in a terrible world of violence and pain. Looking back, he couldn't say when it started, only that it had.

"Maybe it's for the best it ended. For both of us…"

"Hm." One of the idiots leaned in front of him. He wore an eager smile, desperate to do something – anything – so long as it proved him a member of the White Fang. More excitement than brains. As if their cause was a damned game. "What's that, Adam? You want us to do something?"

"Return to base. Lay low. We don't need any more trouble laid at the hands of the White Fang. And this place stays untouched. Am I clear? Do not misunderstand me; I _will_ kill anyone who attempts to take `justice` into their own hands over the choice of a song."

"Y-Yeah. We get it."

"We'll pass the message on. Diner stays safe."

"Must be real good coffee…"

"Shut up, idiot. We're going." The faunus paused. "You're not coming, sir?"

Adam leaned back against a wall opposite the diner and crossed his arms. "I'm going to stay and enjoy the music."

"Music from a Schnee-!?"

"It's still music, isn't it?" he asked, one brow raised. His mask was nowhere to be seen; his outfit was more casual with a hoodie drawn up over his hair. "Unless you're suggesting lyrical accompaniments have clapped our people in chains, or that a string quartet is an instrument of punishment expressed on the backs of innocent faunus."

They didn't get the joke, if it was even that. More a dig at their intelligence which they proved with their incomprehension. He rolled his eyes and waved a hand, dismissing them without words. They left, though not without a few parting glares toward Weiss Schnee inside.

Foolish. She was about as far removed from the SDC as one could get. They ought to have known that if they proclaimed the Schnee their eternal enemies. Since when was it not wise to research on said enemies? He certainly had. The only thing he'd missed was a chance to listen to her music. It was haunting and sad, despite the lively beat. There was a melancholy to it that resonated with him.

A small smile spread over his lips. "It's a good song."

Across the street and to the left of the diner, a small girl with pink, brown and cream hair watched him. She had been since the faunus and he arrived, and though they would have dismissed her, he did not. To be fair, he knew of Neo and knew she wasn't to be so casually ignored.

Her eyes met his. Her head cocked to the side and her hand fell to the umbrella at her side. One eyebrow raised in question.

Adam shook his head.

Satisfied, Neo let go of her weapon and closed her eyes, listening to the music. An accord had been reached; there would be no violence from him or his, and no need for her to intervene in defence of what she considered hers.

/-/

Weiss sniggered into her coffee as Yang swept across the small stage on her knees, screaming into the microphone in a vague approximation of singing that rang out over the diner. Others laughed as well, though the polite and the deranged clapped.

She wasn't sure where Ruby fell into that – maybe it was just that she _had_ to support Yang because it was her sister. Either way, Ruby cheered and swung her arms in the air like some mad fan at a boy band concert. All she needed was some glowsticks.

"Kill me now," Blake moaned, head in her hands. "End my suffering."

It was too much. Weiss laughed.

When she'd agreed to sing, she expected it would be just that; a promotional event for the diner. Before, singing had always been for a purpose, be that to raise money for charity or, more realistically, raise money for the Schnee family. She would perform on stage in front of thousands, they would clap, throw flowers and her changing room would be filled with so many bouquets she couldn't possibly find vases for them all.

It was, in a word, an impersonal affair.

There were also the notes too, of love, admiration or asking her to sing for them at various events. Some offered money, others adoration and some, the truly painful ones, were from people in terrible situations – sometimes at their ends of their lives – who just wanted to hear Weiss sing for them, or a dying loved one. Weiss had sung at the bedside of a ten-year-old girl dying of a wasting disease. The family had thanked her with tearstained faces.

Apparently, the poor girl died a week later.

Things like that took the passion out of her. It felt horrible to say it, but it did. When she'd wanted to be a singer no one had warned her that might be what she had to do. No one would have blamed her either for saying no, but how could she reject something like that? Her father had been pleased for all the wrong reasons. He'd made sure the image of her singing to a sick child was publicised everywhere to show just how caring the Schnee family were. She never forgave him it.

It was perhaps understandable that she'd wanted to leave that behind, though that hadn't made her so heartless as to ignore a friend in need. Still, she hadn't expected the whole thing to turn into some awful karaoke evening.

 _Awful, but hilarious,_ she added mentally.

"In your heeeaaad, In your heaaaddd, Zombie, Zombie~"

"GO YANG!" Ruby screamed.

"Go Yang," Blake moaned. "Go far, far away. I beg you…"

Weiss laughed into her cappuccino, blowing bubbles through the froth. Really, Yang's singing wasn't all that bad, and her instructor had once said enthusiasm and stage presence could mask performance. She certainly had that, skidding and diving around the small stage like she was dodging gunfire. The crowd loved it. Really, they just loved the enthusiasm. Even the worst of karaoke was endearing if the singer was trying their best.

When yang came to a finish, spreading her arms wide, Weiss joined the crowd in applauding her. More for her courage than the quality of her song, but it was worthy of applause, nonetheless. Ruby was far more into it, cheering and whistling.

At least until Weiss interrupted her.

"You realise that with half of us having done this, the whole team has to go up."

Ruby's hands froze.

Blake's bow stiffened.

"Oh, I _like_ the way you think, Weiss," Yang laughed, sitting back down with a red face. On the stage, Nora dragged Ren up for a duet, calling out for the music person Jaune had hired to put a certain song in.

Ren had the look of a man not paid enough for this, nor paid enough to resist. He held the microphone he was given like it was a live bomb.

"There's no way I'm singing," Blake said.

"There's no way you're not," Yang replied.

Blake glared.

Yang grinned.

"W-W-Weiss, that was a joke, right?" Ruby stammered. "Ha ha. Y-You're so funny."

"Who was joking? Not I."

"W-Weiss…"

Well, it wasn't like she or Yang could force them, but that didn't mean they couldn't give them a little scare. Weiss sipped her drink and tried not to buckle under Ruby's pleading and frankly terrified expression. It was revenge for all the homework ruined by her distractions.

Nora had picked some romantic duet for their song and Weiss wondered if that was intentional. When the lyrics kicked in, she led, and Weiss' brows rose. Nora actually had a nice singing voice. Better than Yang's at any rate.

When Ren joined in, Weiss almost melted.

"Oh, come on," Yang moaned. "Why does Mr and Mrs `perfect pitch` have to go up right after me? Now I look like an idiot."

"I thought you did wonderful," Pyrrha said.

"Sure. And I totally believe praise from the politest woman alive."

Pyrrha giggled but didn't argue. Who could? They'd originally planned a Team RWBY night out for this but Pyrrha had wanted to come and listen, and since Russel was working, she'd have been on her own. The tables were also rather tightly arranged since it was expected to be a busy evening, so getting a table just for the four of them would have been impossible. Instead, they had ten of them sat around it. Team RWBY, Pyrrha, Nora and Ren, Coco, Yatsuhasi and _Mercury Black_ of all people.

The latter, Ruby had taken one look at, hissed and sat as far opposite of as she humanly could.

Weiss wasn't sure what to make of that. Yang apparently thought it was the best thing ever and couldn't stop teasing Ruby or suggesting Mercury swap places with her. Really, she'd have expected Yang to be worried since Ruby was fifteen, but then she herself wasn't really sure if the strange silver-haired teen was interested in Ruby that way.

It honestly looked more like he enjoyed teasing her.

"Whole table has to go up," Coco said, already looking through the menu of available songs. "That's a rule. Also why Fox ditched, I imagine."

"Almost certainly," Yatsuhashi rumbled.

"But I can't sing!" Ruby whined.

"Everyone can sing. You're just being dramatic."

"I can't, though!"

"You could rap," Mercury suggested.

Ruby shot him an evil scowl. "Do I _look_ like someone who can rap?"

"I dunno. Try saying `yo yo yo, it's Ruby in da house` for me."

In answer, Ruby's eyes narrowed. Her lips drew into a thin line and she most certainly did not accommodate Mercury's request. Beside her, Yang was almost bent double with laughter, slapping a hand on her thigh.

"I'm sure you'll figure something out," Weiss said. "Or we'll just have to pick a song for you."

Ruby whimpered.

When Ren and Nora finished, everyone clapped and welcomed them back, watching as a woman from another table stood up, much older than them and probably a professional huntress. She looked a little tipsy and couldn't match Nora's voice, but she gave it her all and it was better than expected. Her partner, either a husband or boyfriend, looked somehow both embarrassed and proud.

 _I like this,_ Weiss thought, surprised as much by that fact as she ought to have been. _There's something different to singing at this compared to a concert. Maybe it's that they don't know me well, or maybe it's being able to watch other people try, even if they're amateurs._

It was endearing. You _expected_ quality from professionals. This was more a pleasant surprise whenever someone who had no right being a good singer got up and proved everyone wrong.

"Shame Jaune isn't going to get a chance," Pyrrha said. "I imagine he could sing well."

 _You would, having such a crush on him._ Weiss met Blake's eyes and the two shared a long roll. She didn't think Jaune would be quite as confident as Pyrrha thought, but it didn't matter either way. He was far too busy making drinks for Russel and Velvet to take out. There were a few men in black suits and red ties helping him. Weiss was sure they were gang members if Yang's expression was anything to go by, but they weren't doing anything wrong, so she let them be.

Still, she had a feeling Pyrrha would have drawn Jaune up for a lover's duet like Ren and Nora if she'd had the confidence. Jaune's girlfriend was nowhere to be seen, likely working herself given the hour. That was probably for the best. Weiss didn't want to get caught between that kind of triangle.

"I saw Miss Goodwitch in the corner," Coco whispered. "Think she can sing?"

"Bet she can just as much as I bet she won't," Yang said. "Dunno why, but she has the look of someone who could sing good enough to knock your socks off."

"But there are too many students here," Weiss agreed. "I doubt she'd let her hair down in front of us. I can't say I blame her."

"Yet you were willing to."

"It's a little different for me."

"You were really food," Ruby said eagerly. "You should sing again."

"Sure." Weiss smiled. "After you do one."

"Erk!"

"We could sing together if you like," Mercury teased.

"Nope."

"It's-"

"Nope."

"Sounds generous to me," Yang teased.

"Nope! Nope! Nope!"

"Shame." Mercury affected a wounded smile. "And I thought we were making such bounds in our relationship after our romantic moonlight dance."

"Wha-!?" Ruby's face burned. "We didn't have anything like that!"

"Didn't we? We danced."

"At the prom," Yang added.

"Under the moonlight," Blake teased.

"And it was rather romantic," Weiss finished, driving the final nail into the coffin.

Ruby looked at them all with horror. "Betrayal… my own team…" Desperately, she looked to Pyrrha. "Pyrrha. Help… not you, too?"

Reaching over, Pyrrha laid a hand on Ruby's shoulder.

Her smile was evil.

"I'm happy for you, Ruby."

Red faced, she let her forehead fall onto the table. "Nooo…"

It was too much and everyone laughed. Weiss did feel a _little_ bad and rubbed her partner's back, whispering that she didn't have to sing if she didn't want to. That cheered Ruby up a little, but put Blake firmly in the crosshairs of Yang, who wasn't about to be as merciful anytime soon.

/-/

In the end, Blake sang.

They all did. All except Ruby, who stuck to her guns even after Mercury publicly dedicated his song to her. He hadn't been a very good singer. Then again, few of them had. Blake had picked the easiest song she could and stumbled through it. Pyrrha thought she could have done better if she'd given it her all, but Blake seemed almost determined to do poorly, if just to prove herself right on it being embarrassing.

When it came to her turn, Pyrrha went up despite her fear.

It wasn't fear of being embarrassed of performing in front of people – she'd faced that far too many times. It was the fear of being recognised, of facing awe and shock and calls for autographs. The fear of ruining Jaune's karaoke evening by turning it into some fan meet.

But no one cared.

She went up, she sang, the audience clapped, and Russel even slapped a hand on her shoulder as he went by with a tray of drinks, telling her she had a nice voice. Jaune cheered as well from his wheelchair. Pyrrha floated back to the table on cloud nine, her spot taken by a huntsman around thirty years or so, who sang a song before her time.

Her fame really didn't seem to matter to anyone at Jaune's. She knew it was the exception to the rule because with all the tournament fans coming for the festival, she'd already been stopped on the street ten times that day and hounded for photographs. It was worse than ever. But the people here were all huntsmen. Maybe they just didn't think she was all that special. Oh look, a girl who can fight well and win tournaments for children. Most of the people here could hold their own against her, and some of the older ones could probably pound her into the dirt.

"Nice one!" Nora congratulated when she came back, slapping one hand on her shoulder and the other against the table. "Whooo! Our table is best table!"

"Nora, don't be so loud," Ren said, pulling her hands away before she could become louder than the actual singer. "Sorry about that," he said to her. "She gets excited easily."

"No, it's fine. I find it endearing."

"I'm glad someone does," he muttered.

Pyrrha giggled. It was strange to think of how many friends she had now, especially compared to before. Her first had been Velvet, slipping through to Coco, and somehow that had exploded out in every direction – and not because Coco or Velvet dragged her into it. More because they'd helped her build the confidence she needed to reach out herself.

 _I did this,_ she thought, feeling prouder of herself than she had for a long time. She hadn't been granted these friends by virtue of being put on a team with them or something similar. She'd gone out of her way to approach them and won each and every one of them.

And she could just as easily lose them if Ozpin's words were anything to go by.

Her smile faltered.

Ruby's advice came to mind, so simple and yet so honest at the same time. `Ask for more details`. Ruby had basically just said she didn't know enough to suggest what Pyrrha should do, and that if Pyrrha herself didn't, she should demand more information from Ozpin. Considering how vague everything was – both on _who_ the threat was, _why_ she'd been chosen and _what_ the transfer would do to her mind and soul – she really wasn't sure what to do.

All the headmaster had really done was tug on her heart strings and dangle some fairy tales in front of her. She couldn't tell if that was intentional on his part or not. He might just have thought she understood everything, or maybe he reasonably assumed that if she _didn't,_ she'd have spoken up and asked him for more details.

That she hadn't probably left him thinking she was fine with what he'd given her.

 _Am I making it worse because I'm not being honest? Is Ozpin even at fault here, or am I the problem?_

Looking back, all her troubles with Russel could have been avoided if she'd just _asked_ him why he was happy to be on a team with her. He would have told her it wasn't because of her fame and they could have been best friends. Instead, she leapt to the wrong conclusion.

That had to change. With everyone distracted and focused on the stage, Pyrrha drew out her scroll and typed in a message to Ozpin. He'd given her his details after making the offer, telling her she could contact him when she'd made a decision. This wasn't that, but she hoped he would understand.

" _I need to know more about what you're offering. Can we talk?"_

The message disappeared with a soft little `whoosh` and she stared at the device, wondering if it had been a good idea or if he'd criticise her, call her reckless for typing such a thing or suggest she was risking the lives of her friends by delaying. The `ellipses` symbol in the corner said a message was returning and her chest tightened.

Her scroll beeped.

" _Of course. Feel free to come see me at your earliest convenience. I shall answer what questions I can."_

That was it? Just like that? Pyrrha found a laugh slipping past her lips. Smiling and feeling a weight lifting itself off her shoulders, she pushed the scroll back into her pocket and leaned back, giving her attention once more to the fun going on before her.

The evening was spent in laughter.

/-/

If anyone asked Blake, she'd have said she both loved and hated her team. It really depended on what they were up to at the time. Now, it was hate. Well and truly. At least the night was over, everyone filtering out the diner and into the street. Normally, that was less crowded, but with karaoke going on everyone had stayed right up until the last moment.

Yang came out hanging on Nora's shoulder and looking at her scroll.

Blake's tinny voice came off, singing. Yang laughed.

"If that video gets out, I'll kill you both…"

"Oh Blake, you were so adorable. All flushed and – shit, look out!"

Nora was faster than she looked and managed to escape with her scroll before Blake could tackle her. They wrestled for a little, but Nora was also far _stronger_ than her size suggested. Blake was pushed back, then dragged away by a grinning Yang. The scroll with damning evidence of her singing remained painfully intact.

"Come on, Blake. There's no need to be like that…"

"Easy for you to say, Ruby," she groused. "Or should I call you `chicken`?"

Ruby eeped and stayed quiet.

"We'll make her sing for us one day," Weiss promised, damning Ruby's further. "But all in all, I had fun tonight. More than I expected to. I've never actually done karaoke before."

Blake deflated a little and Yang, sensing it, let her go. It really wasn't that big a surprise Weiss hadn't done this. Blake certainly hadn't, not that there'd been much of an opportunity in the White Fang. Sometimes people would sing around campfires or in Bullheads to keep their spirits up, but that was always nervous and in times of danger. It never felt like it was for fun.

This hadn't been so bad. Not really her thing, especially not singing herself, but the company had been good and what else would they have been doing? Homework in their dorm or a little reading if she was lucky. Grudgingly, she'd admit to this being more fun.

Grudgingly.

"Think Jaune will turn his place into a karaoke bar full time?"

"I doubt it," Weiss answered Yang's question. "This was only fun because it was a one-time thing. If anything, I imagine he'll be looking for other things to do on a similar level. Speaking of, what's happening with Jaune tonight?"

"Pyrrha offered to take him back to the Club. He's staying there."

"Hm. Fine. So long as he is safe."

Caught between Pyrrha and Miltia? Blake wouldn't have called that safe. She snorted and looked away, out into the street.

A pair of eyes caught hers.

She froze.

Piercing eyes, smooth skin, strong jaw. The man in the hoodie looked her in the eye and tilted his head back, letting a little of his red hair show. Blake trembled. Her hand fell to her side, reaching for a weapon she _hadn't_ brought with her.

Adam – it was definitely Adam – shook his head.

No? No to what? Killing her? Calling him out? Was he threatening her to stay silent? She watched him with her hands clenched into fists, waiting for him to come forward, to shout out a challenge or call her a traitor. To do… something. Anything.

One of his hands rose, fingers morphing into a specific shape. Battle language – or rather, the small set of hand signals the White Fang used to convey instructions in combat situation. Moments where silence was required. It had been a while since she needed to know it, but such things didn't leave you and there were only about thirty signs. Go, stay, left, right, attack, quiet, follow, explosive. Things like that.

 _Fall back_ , Adam signed. Followed by another, _Non-violent._

The former was for retreat, the latter for when they wanted to signal for non-lethal takedowns or just to tell one another that a situation didn't require violence. Blake's shoulders were still tense but and she watched him suspiciously, unsure if she trusted his signs.

 _Query?_ She sent back. Less the specific `why` and more a sign that meant she wanted to know why he was saying what he did.

 _Do not attack._

Her brow furrowed. The return message was a confusing one. She wasn't in any state to attack him anyway, but was that what he meant? Their sign language wasn't exactly made for holding conversations. Did he mean to ask her not to attack, was he saying _he_ wouldn't attack or was he telling her not to intervene in the White Fang's actions?

 _Query_ , she fired back, frowning.

In answer, he used a far more universal symbol. He shrugged and spread his arms.

"You know," Yang teased. "If you want to have a heated conversation with some hot guy, you can always go over and talk to him. I'll wait."

"Yang," she hissed, turning to glare at her. "You have no idea what you're talking about! That's-" Blake's words trailed off as she looked back.

Adam was gone.

* * *

 **Hey all. Just to offer a little warning in advance, I'm probably going to be absent for a week of fanfics in August. I'm not sure yet what week it will be, but I'm being dragged along to some family thing. I think it's going to be a Wednesday to a Wednesday, so I'll update people closer to the time when things have been finalised.**

 **Fairly sure it's somewhere within the last 2-3 weeks of August, though.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 6** **th** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	51. Chapter 51

**It's been mentioned in other works, but I have a week away with family coming up and it will impact the next chapter of this story. I'll be away on the 20** **th** **, when this would normally update. As such, the next chapter of this story will be a week later, on the 27** **th** **. After that, things go back to normal.**

 **Just letting people know here so no confusion.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 51**

* * *

"Hey Ruby." Blake slid up to her team leader between lessons. "Can we have a quick word?"

It wasn't lost on Ruby how she'd asked as Yang and Weiss were mid-argument, something asinine. Yang had stolen Weiss' premium shampoo and given the sheer volume of her hair, had used just about all of it. Weiss wasn't happy. Blake lost interest before it even started but you didn't get between Weiss and her creature comforts, nor Yang and her hair.

"Yeeesssss…?" Ruby asked, dragging the word out and leaning away. "Unless this is about breaking up Yang and Weiss, in which case `nope`."

"It's not. Let them argue."

"Cool! Then sure. What's up?"

Blake glanced around at all the people filing out of lessons. "In private."

"Oh. One of _those_ conversations. Sure."

What did Ruby think she was going to ask? Never mind. "One of those," she agreed, drawing Ruby away from the pack of students filing toward the dining hall like they hadn't eaten for a week. Finding a place with no traffic was as easy as stepping into Port's classroom. No student would dare brave one of his speeches willingly, but Port never hung around either.

Closing the door behind her, Blake leaned against Port's desk, letting Ruby hop up to sit on it and dangle her legs off the edge.

"So." said Ruby. "What's up?"

Many things. The ceiling for one. The poor joke was consigned to the back of her mind as more pressing issues came forth. Before, when she'd run off to combat the White Fang alone, she'd caused her team untold stress. She'd promised after never to do that again without consulting her team first. She intended to keep that promise. But, how to phrase this to Ruby?

Ah. Of course. The obvious choice.

"I have this friend…"

"No! No, no, no! No, you don't _have a friend who has a problem_. You have a problem!" Ruby's finger pushed Blake's nose upward, squashing it against her face. The girl's silver eyes were wild. "I'm sick and tired of all the dancing around. Why can't people just admit they have a problem? I know you have a problem. You know you have a problem. You know that I know that you have a problem. Just. Say. It! Argh!"

Blake was pinned against the blackboard, eyes wide and hands up before herself. Ruby's finger was about a millimetre from pushing right up her nostril. "Um. I know I have a problem. That's why I came to you for advice."

"Good!" Ruby glared at her. "Now, if the next words out of your mouth are about a hypothetical friend with a hypothetical problem, your _new problem_ will be how to get my boot out of your rectum!"

That was… somewhat unlike the Ruby she knew. "Tough week?"

"Like you would not believe!"

"Is Mercury flirting with you again?"

"YES!" Ruby stomped one foot. "But that's not the biggest problem. Now talk!"

"Promise you won't stab my eye out with your finger?"

"No."

"O-Okay." _Really_ tough week by the sound of it. And yet Ruby was still the better person to go to advice for than Yang or Weiss. What a world she lived in. "But I do have a friend." Ruby's finger pushed harder. "But I'm the one with the problem! I'm telling the truth! The friend is related!"

Ruby blinked. "Wait, so this isn't one of those `I have a friend who has a problem` things?"

"No?"

"Ha ha. Oh. Ha." Ruby laughed and brought her finger back, hiding it behind her back. "Um. Let's pretend I _didn't_ nearly pin you to the blackboard? So… this friend, who _isn't_ you for a change. Wow. You have friends outside our team?"

Offended, she opened her mouth, then paused. "Well, no…"

Painful to admit.

"He's more of an ex-friend. Maybe. It's… complicated."

"How complicated can it be?"

"A train full of dead bodies, Schnee robots and broken promises complicated."

Ruby stared at her. "That's… pretty complicated."

"I don't do things by half. Oh, and he's also an ex-boyfriend that I dumped."

"Via text?"

"Via cutting a train connecting car abandoning him in the middle of a Grimm-infested forest with a host of murderous robots." Blake tried not to meet Ruby's eyes. "And the train may have been rigged to blow."

"Blake…"

"I told you, it's complicated."

"Blake. I… You know Sun? He's a nice guy. Maybe let him down a little more gently. Okay?"

Blake's face burned with colour. "That's not exactly by standard dating procedure, Ruby! And it's not related. Well, it is but I'm not asking for dating advice."

"Really? Sounds like you need it."

"Ruby, you've never dated anyone."

"And yet my record _still_ sounds less insane than yours."

Ugh. Touché. "My ex is back in Vale. And he made contact with me after the karaoke night."

"That sounds awkward," said Ruby. "It also sounds _way_ out my area of expertise. Have you tried asking Yang? No, wait, of course you haven't. Yang would just say to beat him up. Um. Don't ask Yang, and definitely don't ask Weiss. Sheesh. Why _am_ I the best person to ask? What's _wrong_ with the people in Beacon?"

Blake asked herself that question every day.

"Okay. I can see why this would be complicated." Ruby swung her legs, humming in thought. It was a good sign that she was giving it the necessary attention. "Is there anything else I should know? Is he violent? Abusive? Dangerous?"

"He's a high-ranking member of the White Fang, and possibly the strongest faunus there."

Ruby stared at her.

"Maybe I should have led with that," Blake admitted.

"You think? Ugh, Blake." Ruby groaned into her hands. "The last time you had a problem it caused a fight that nearly burned the docks down. The next time, you had us fighting a giant killer robot. Now this? Why are you like this, Blake? What makes you this way?"

Wait, was Ruby putting this at her shoes? "This isn't my fault!"

Ruby stared at her.

"It's not! I didn't expect him or the White Fang to find me!"

"Blake, you didn't even change your name coming to Beacon. You didn't even cut your hair, swap your outfit or _try_ to disguise yourself…"

"I wore a bow!"

Ruby stared even harder at her.

"A-And maybe a bow on its own wasn't enough, but hindsight is 20-20. How could I have known they'd see through it and discover my identity?"

Ruby's stare intensified.

"Advice, please!"

"Ugh." Ruby broke the stair. "I don't know what to say. Is he threatening you?"

"I… I don't think so." She'd really thought he would given how the split, but Adam's signs had made it clear there was to be no violence, not to mention he made no move to approach her. She'd been surrounded by her team at the time, but everyone had been distracted. If he'd really wanted to, he could have struck her down before she had a chance to detect him, let alone get her aura up. "He just sort of contacted me and made it clear he's here. But there was a letter by my locker this morning."

"He's in Beacon!?"

"No, no. But there are plenty of faunus here and it's not hard to imagine some might be members of the White Fang. Or sympathisers."

"What did it say?"

Blake hesitated to show Ruby the full details. "He wants to meet."

"In a deep, dark, shadowy alley late at night and on your own?"

"Actually, he's given me the choice of when and where."

Had it been the former, she'd have laughed in his face and tossed the letter away; she wasn't an idiot. But by letting her pick the time and place, Adam was putting his life in her hands. It wasn't much of a risk on his part. He knew she couldn't turn him in without revealing her part in the White Fang, and repentant or not that would still be worthy of a criminal record. Still, it at least implied he wasn't in it to kill her.

"I promised I'd talk to you all before I went and did anything stupid with the White Fang. I think this counts."

"Yeah." Ruby laughed. "But it's only stupid if you actually meet with him."

Blake looked away.

Ruby's laughter slowly died.

"Blake, no."

"Blake, maybe," she countered. "And I'm talking to you, aren't I? I thought… Yang and Weiss would be bad for this. They're too emotional. Or compromised. Weiss has good reason to hate him and Yang… I trust her, but you know she'd flip the table the _second_ Adam said something bad about me. I don't want this to descent into a brawl."

"You want me to be a relationship counsellor? For terrorists…?"

"More moral support… and physical support if it gets violent."

Ruby stared at her. "Why are you like this?" she asked again. "What made you this way?"

"It's complicated." Her answer was the same. "And is that a yes to being my wingman?"

"If I say no, you're just going to sneak off and go on your own, anyway. Aren't you?"

Blake carefully chose not to respond to that.

"Damn it, Blake…"

/-/

Ruby kicked a foot against the back of her other heel. Dressed in the casual outfit she usually wore for going out in Vale, she stood next to Blake a small distance away from Jaune's. It was a Wednesday, which technically meant it was closed, but Jaune offered the use of the place when Blake asked. It was private and away from any innocents. Except Jaune, of course, but Blake was convinced Adam wouldn't harm him.

Ruby less so. "I don't like putting Jaune in danger. He's a civilian."

"I already told Adam the place and he said it's accorded neutral territory."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that the area is known and established as neutral territory to criminals in Vale." Blake teased her lip as she said it. "That means even the White Fang wouldn't dare cause trouble here."

"Walker Street is neutral territory?"

"No. Jaune's."

Ruby frowned. "Why is my best friend's diner criminal territory, Blake?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't read into it. It may just be that they picked a place at random. When opposing forces meet, they usually want it to be somewhere neutral, so no one side has the advantage. Kind of like meeting under a flag of truce. That's sort of what we're doing."

"You're sure Jaune will be fine? I… I don't want him in danger, Blake. He's squishy. He's vulnerable. I almost – I mean, _we_ almost lost him when the Grimm attacked."

Blake looked at her team leader, recalling for a moment the agonised sobs of a girl wearing her fingernails thin digging through rubble, and the piercing scream when she discovered what she thought was evidence of Jaune's demise.

"If anything happens, you focus on getting Jaune out. I can hold Adam off for a while."

Ruby nodded.

"There is one other thing. I had to tell Adam I'd be bringing someone with me. He'd consider it a trap if we showed up without telling him. He's said he'll bring one person as well. Someone he trusts not to cause a scene. He said it wouldn't even be White Fang."

"Someone worse…?"

"Someone capable of fighting on our level for sure, but hopefully less involved in the White Fang's conflict." Blake sighed. "It'll be Adam and I talking. I think you and the other will be expected to sit on the side-lines. Really, you're just there to help us if things turn violent." Blake grinned weakly. "Consider it a double-date."

"Blake…" Ruby said her name softly. "I love you, I really do, but if I had to trust someone to set me up on a blind date, I think _you_ would be the last person. I'd trust _Nora_ to set me up before I do you."

Ouch.

Not that she could argue, but still. Ouch.

Blake walked toward the door, Ruby beside her. The interior was dimly lit despite the `closed` sign on the door, and when they came close, she could see shadows through the windows. Blake knocked on the glass front, waiting for someone inside to come and unlock it.

It was Miltia, not Jaune.

"Uh…"

"It's a mass date," Miltia Malachite said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Same warning to you as I gave the others. Cause problems and I'll kick your ass."

Blake nodded, keeping her thoughts on how Yang had beaten both Miltia and Melanie to herself. There was no way she would be beating her or Adam, but she could at least get Jaune out of danger if something happened, and that was obviously her purpose here. One thing Miltia gave away was that Adam was already here. Swallowing, Blake looked over the girl's shoulder, espying two men, or she assumed they were men, sat at a table. Jaune was serving them coffee and chatting with them.

On the racks by the door, a familiar sword and sheathe lay.

"Weapons by the door," Miltia said.

Being disarmed wouldn't stop any of them fighting, but it lowered the tension. Blake made a show of putting hers down while Ruby did the same, leaving her scythe in its compact form by hanging it from one of the hooks.

Miltia could have checked them for more but Blake's outfit wasn't exactly designed to hide anything, and Ruby was well-known for essentially being _married_ to Crescent Rose. She would never cheat on her baby by picking up another weapon.

Blake drew a deep breath and let it go. Talking about seeing Adam again was one thing. Actually doing it was another. She felt Ruby nudge her side, offering what support she could, and firmed her shaky resolve. If she couldn't be confident, she could at least act it.

She walked toward the table.

"Oh, and Blake is here." Jaune saw her first, wheeling himself back. "If you need anything, let us know. Even if we're not open, we still have some cakes left over and the ice-cream keeps for a while."

"That won't be necessary," Adam said. His rich voice had her shaking. "But thank you for offering."

He turned on his seat. His eyes pierced Blake's.

The only thing she could think was that he'd gone without his mask.

"Blake," he said.

"Adam…"

"It's been a-"

"YOU!"

Blake jumped, reaching for a weapon that wasn't there. Adam tensed as well, only to freeze along with her when they realised it wasn't either of them that had shouted the word with such fury, nor was it anyone by the door.

It was Ruby, pointing an accusatory finger at the person Adam had brought along.

"You!" she hissed. "You, you, you! Why is it you!?"

Mercury Black lowered his hood and winked at her. "Hey Ruby. Fancy meeting you here."

"Gah." Ruby glowered at him. "Why are _you_ here?"

"Heh. I think I'm your date for the evening."

Ruby hissed like a wild animal.

A bubble of laughter threatened to come up inside her. It was swallowed quickly by the seriousness of the situation, but it didn't prevent a quick smile from appearing on her face as she watched Ruby stomp her foot and mutter about unfairness, stupid guys and how she needed to apply for a restraining order.

Of course, it wasn't lost on her that Mercury Black was apparently close to Adam Taurus.

That didn't bode well.

When the two went off to sit at their own table, Mercury to flirt and Ruby to glare, Blake sat in the seat opposite Adam, placing her hands upon the table so he would know she was unarmed. He knew what it meant and did the same, keeping one to the side and the other on the handle of a mug of coffee. A steaming cappuccino was already before her. Trusting Jaune, she sipped it. The copious sugar quantity was needed.

"I'm glad you came," said Adam. "I wasn't sure you would."

"Neither was I." She glanced to the side. "Why him? Anything I should know?"

"Nothing so dramatic. Mercury and I met here when there was too little room and he was made to sit by me. We became… I am not sure I would call it friends. We became acquainted. I needed someone to come with me today and it couldn't be anyone from the White Fang. You know why."

"My departure wasn't taken well, then."

"Your departure went mostly unnoticed. It was your reappearance which caused problems."

Her eyes narrowed. "Unnoticed?"

"Mostly unnoticed. I felt your absence, as did a few others, but you were hardly a high-ranking member of the organisation. It's not as though the White Fang fell to ruin when you didn't return. Some asked where you were, some assumed you had died and more still failed to note your absence in the first place."

Annoyed, Blake sipped a little more. She didn't think Adam was lying and that irked her more than she cared to admit. If it had been Adam to vanish, everyone would have been in uproar. Maybe she should have been thankful for that.

"And you?"

"I was hurt, admittedly."

"Angry?"

"Furious."

Blake swallowed and leaned back. "And now?"

"My anger has faded." Adam sipped his drink. "Time has a way of cooling emotions, no matter how fiercely they burn. I suppose all that is left is disappointment."

"Disappointment!?" Blake slammed her hand on the table. "You wanted to _kill_ innocent people!"

"I didn't say I was in the right." Adam waved a hand to calm down Mercury and Ruby, who had made to rise when Blake moved. "And I wasn't talking about the fact you chose to leave. That was always your decision to make."

She sat. "Then what are you talking about?"

"The fact you didn't come and talk to me first."

"You wouldn't have understood."

"Really? Did you not trust me to, or did you not care enough to try?"

Blake sucked in breath through her teeth. "Don't try and make this about me. You wanted to kill innocent people. I couldn't abide that, and it's not like I could have let you do it, then cornered you after to say I didn't like it. They'd still have died."

"You could have tried to stop me."

"I did!"

"You asked me about them and then chose to cut the train car. That's hardly effort, Blake."

"Since when is it my responsibility to control your actions? I think you're old enough to do that yourself, Adam. Or is it that you wanted me to wipe your behind and dress you, too?"

Adam sighed. "You're angry."

"You're damn right I'm angry. You're trying to turn what you did on me!"

"That wasn't my intent. I'm not actually talking about the incident on the train, more I'm trying to talk about us. What we were," he said when she made to argue that they were nothing. "I was under the impression that when we got together, we promised to support and help one another. I don't fault you for finding my actions detestable, but I do wish you would have come to me over that and not left. That you'd have given me a chance to improve."

"Would you have?"

"I don't know. The White Fang needs me as I am. But I would have tried…"

Tried and failed. Or maybe he could have succeeded. They'd never know, and she had a feeling that was what bothered him. Maybe it could have been handled better, but she hadn't exactly been in the right frame of mind for that. Giving him time would have led to those people dying.

"What do you want, Adam? Me back with you? That won't happen. Me back in the White Fang? Also not happening."

"Neither. You're a traitor to the White Fang, Blake. Not for leaving, but for your actions attacking us in Vale. As for us, I don't think I could trust you any more than you trust me now. Say what you will about my actions, but I never once betrayed you."

`You betrayed me`.

He didn't say it, but they both heard it. Blake gritted her teeth, fighting the urge to shout that he'd betrayed himself, his ideals or some other such nonsense. But in the end, it would have been just that. She _had_ been the one to cut ties. Did she regret it? No. Did she think she was in the right to do so? Yes.

But that still didn't change the fact it was a betrayal. Even the evillest of people could be betrayed; it was just that you tended to call the people doing the betraying heroes.

In an ideal world she would have taken Adam with her. Saved him.

Remnant was not an ideal world.

"What do you want from this meeting, then?" she asked. "Why reach out?"

"I'm not one hundred per cent sure," he admitted. "I never intended to reach out, but I saw your performance the other night." His lips curled up, a cheeky, amused, smile on his face. One she'd once fallen for. "You sang well."

Her cheeks flushed. "I sang like an idiot!"

"Better than I could have."

"I didn't see _you_ go up."

"That would have been a little awkward. Amusing, but awkward. You looked… I will not say happy, for you looked anything but at the time, but you were having fun. It didn't feel right to intrude on that."

"I'm surprised you care for what's rude or not, Adam. You're a terrorist."

"And so were you, Blake. Did that ever make you a monster?"

"It made me act like one."

"No." Adam leaned forward. "You being a terrorist did not _make_ you act like a monster. You _chose_ to join the White Fang and you _chose_ to fight against the established order. Don't make excuses or blame it on some nebulous force controlling our minds. We made the decisions we did knowing what it meant, and I won't have you belittle the lives of those who died for it."

Blake looked away. "Sorry. You're right. I… I made poor choices. And I regret those choices now."

He nodded and sat down again. "As is your right. People leave the White Fang all the time. We don't exactly make it a habit to chase them down. Why would we? It only makes us look the villains and tells every faunus out there that there's no going back. Such pointless cruelty does us no favours."

"I don't care about the White Fang, though," he said. "I wanted to talk to you. Wanted to… I suppose what I wanted was to speak with you. To make peace."

"Peace!?"

"Not between the White Fang and you – those bridges are burned. But we were once, what we had…" He sighed. "I like to feel it was special. I like to feel it was real, at least for a while."

An uncomfortable feeling stirred in her gut. "It was," she said. "I did love you."

"And I, you," said Adam,

But not anymore.

Not from either of them.

"You're no fool, Blake. You know that our presence here means something in the future. If you continue to interfere, you'll be forced to face the might of the White Fang. You realise that."

"I won't sit by and pretend that nothing is happening in front of me. I'm a huntress now. If I see injustice, I will act."

Adam sighed. "Then we may end up facing one another on the battlefield."

"We may." The prospect had seemed so easy when she imagined Adam as a furious, hate-filled and blood-driven monster. So much harder to see him now, tired and human. So painfully normal. "It doesn't have to be this way. You could come with me and join Beacon."

"Inviting me to tag along now?" He laughed. "That's a little late, don't you think?"

It was.

Months late.

"I didn't give you the chance back then. I am now. Come with me. I can't promise we'll be the same as we once were, but…" She didn't know what the `but` was supposed to be. They could try? She wasn't sure she could. They could stay friends? That felt such a cop-out for someone she'd once trusted with her life.

Adam made the decision for her, smiling as he shook his head. "I cannot."

Even though she expected it, the answer hurt. Much more than she thought it would. "Why?"

"Because unlike you, I have people who have been relying on me. You were a passenger on that train, Blake, so jumping off only affected you. I'm the conductor. If I leave, everyone who trusts me to lead them safely to the destination will die." He finished his coffee. "I convinced people to join this train we call the White Fang, and for better or worse, I must see them to their destination."

"And what of your life?"

Adam smiled. "What about it?"

 _What about them?_ The words echoed in her head, yet now from the other direction. Her hands clenched into fists atop the table. Her mug shook. What an idiot. What an absolute moron. A stubborn fool who refused to change his mind once it had been made, and who would follow his cause to the end if needs be.

No wonder they'd fallen in love. They were the same.

"I guess that means we will see each other on the battlefield," she said, feeling weaker than she had when the day began. "I… I don't know what I expected from this, but I'm coming away with nothing. What a waste of time."

"This wasn't a waste," Adam countered. "If anything, I'm glad we met like this."

She looked up, surprised.

"We will fight, and we may be forced to bring an end to it there, but at least we'll do so having had this conversation. If we hadn't? I don't know how it would have been, but I would have regretted not speaking to you first. Don't you feel the same?"

Did she…?

Maybe she did, in a way.

Adam had been so important to her once, and she to him. If they did have to fight, at least they could do so knowing there were no unsaid words between them. Except for some, which she blurted out without thinking, "I don't hate you."

Adam's smile grew. "I don't hate you, either."

"But if I must, to protect Beacon and Vale, I… I will kill you, Adam."

"The same to you, though I will regret doing so."

"I'll feel the same way."

"Thank you." He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "You would not understand how much knowing that helps."

 _I think I do understand._ Blake watched him, feeling the pit of complicated emotions swirling around inside her. In the end, none of them mattered. She'd made her choice and he had his, and she would not let Beacon be taken away. _I'm sorry, Adam. And… And I guess you are, too. We really are a pair of messed up people. Ruby was right about that._

"You never told me to give up and leave," Blake noted.

"Would you have?" He snorted. "I wouldn't insult you that brazenly."

Blake laughed. "I guess not. I insulted you by asking you to join Beacon, didn't I?"

"A little, but I'll forgive it this one time." He stood, and Blake did the same opposite him. For once, it didn't feel like an action born of defensiveness or anything more. There was no doubt in her mind that he'd let her go. "Fight for what you believe in and I shall do the same," he said. "No more regrets."

He extended a hand.

"I'll try."

Blake took it, then, on impulse, pulled him in. His eyes widened for a moment, then closed.

Short, warm, their kisses before had been something more, something desperate and heated as two people tried to escape the reality of life. There was none of that now; only a distant sense of familiarity and lingering comfort.

That comfort was lost as they drew apart.

"For what we once had," she said. "And a goodbye, I suppose. I never said it before. I just left you there, looking back at me like a lost puppy."

"Hmph. I wasn't so melodramatic."

"Sure you weren't. I… Adam, I-"

He laid a finger against her lips. "No more. Or this will become more difficult than it already is. We've said what must be said. If I die, see me buried. If you die, I will do the same and I will deliver the news to your parents myself. I will ensure their safety personally."

"Thank you, but I don't intend to die." She grinned weakly. "I'll visit your grave, though."

"Hm. We'll see."

Their hands fell, and they stepped back. Immediately, a gulf opened up between them, but she wasn't sure it was the same as before. It was a distance born of ideology, of necessity. Before, it had been a terrifying chasm she tried to pretend didn't exist. Adam, a distant nightmare she was afraid of running into. As always, the imagination made things so much worse than the reality.

Mercury yelped and scraped his chair back. Coffee dripped from him.

"You pig!" Ruby howled, eyes wide and empty mug extended. "You – You – This isn't a date and there's _no way_ I'm doing that!"

"Hey. All I asked was if we were going to hit a cinema after."

"Y-Y-Y-Y-You mentioned a kiss!"

"Sure." Mercury wagged his eyebrows at her. "But isn't that how all good dates end?"

"This isn't a date!"

Adam's snort caught her attention. He wore a rueful smile, eyes closed and hands in his pockets. "It looks like someone is having fun. Perhaps there will be wedding bells in the future."

Blake laughed as Ruby howled and tried to stamp on Mercury's feet. His shoes must have been iron-shod because he didn't so much as flinch. Not that it stopped Ruby trying her hardest, or from looking like a loon as she chased Mercury around the inside of Jaune's diner.

"Don't even joke about that, Adam. I'm never going to hear the end of this."

"I'll leave while the timing is good, then." He drew his hoodie up, his features, even unmasked, too likely to draw attention. "I'd say goodbye but that doesn't feel right. I guess I'll… see you around."

Yes, she supposed they would see one another one last time. A melancholy, yet somehow peaceful, thought.

"See you later, Adam."

/-/

Mercury closed the door to his room.

"Where have you been?" Cinder asked immediately.

"Out with Adam. Men's night out. You know, talking to pretty girls, asking them out, drinking. Getting into brawls. The usual."

"I'm being serious, Mercury."

"Heh. So am I."

"That'd explain the print on your face," Emerald said snidely.

Cinder finally looked up from her dog, which she was grooming in her lap, to see the red handprint on Mercury's cheek. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head dismissively and accepting his words as truth.

"I asked a pretty girl for a kiss on the cheek. Probably should have specific with her lips."

Emerald snorted. "Not sure that would have helped you."

"Ha. Maybe not." Mercury swept in, nodded once to Neo, who was watching him with a knowing gaze – she nodded back, something she never did for Cinder – and he sat down on the couch next to her. "Maybe I wanted to be hit as some way of silently apologising for what we're going to do, the guilt getting to me but me unable to reveal the truth, and thus seeking absolution in another way."

Cinder didn't look up from Snowfall this time. "That doesn't sound like you."

"Ha. True." His expression morphed back into one of amusement. The concept of guilt had been knocked out of him by his dear old dad, along with a host of other things. Oh, he could still feel emotions, but it was stilted. Emerald called him a sociopath. She might have been right. "In truth, I just think she's super cute when she's angry, and she has the _best_ reactions."

"As long as yours and Adam's burgeoning friendship doesn't get in the way of our goals."

"It won't. Adam was tying up loose ends tonight. Preparing himself for the end if you know what I mean." He kicked his feet up onto the desk in front of him, leaning back into the cushion and sighing heavily.

"That's quite the reaction," Cinder said. "Any reason for it?"

"Dunno. Guess I'm just confused."

"About…?"

"Why do people let themselves get into relationships and shit? Just looks complicated. And rough. I've never seen one actually work out, and sure, my dad wasn't exactly the best example, but it just looks like people get hurt when they open themselves up to others. Doesn't seem worth it."

"Spoken like a true idiot," Emerald sneered.

He offered her the middle finger. The only reason _she_ stuck up for the concept was because she was obsessed with Cinder. That wasn't a secret to anyone in the room. Neo was the same with Roman, even if he wasn't sure how far _that_ went, or in what way. Either way, Emerald would be crushed if Cinder died and Neo would go psycho if Roman did.

What was the point? You got hurt either way.

"I suppose there is no good answer," Cinder said, stroking her dog's fur. "Perhaps it is base human instinct, maybe it's weakness that causes people to seek comfort in others. I am not the best person to answer that question."

"Yeah, I guess not."

He closed his eyes. The slap hadn't even hurt; how could it when it was less painful than what Ruby would have done in Miss Goodwitch's class. The only reason it left a mark was because he'd purposefully lowered his aura to let it.

He fully intended to parade it in front of her team tomorrow and watch her squirm. The teasing from her stacked sister would be glorious, though it was always Ruby's reactions he wanted most. That was worth any tingling on his cheek.

 _Heh. Always knew I was messed up. At least Adam managed to sort something out in this shitty life of ours._

Good for him.

* * *

 **A chapter quite without Jaune.**

 **Whenever I write Mercury Black, I always end up writing it as Blake, and for some reason I often write Mercury as Neptune. Obviously, there's both the planetary and deific connections there, but it's weird to keep seeing Neptune Blake appearing in my chapters.**

 **Quick reminder that next chapter will be in three weeks.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 27** **th** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	52. Chapter 52

**Glad to see the response was positive to Adam and Blake last chapter.**

 **And yes, it's definitely been noted that I don't know much about coffee, lol. I actually hate the stuff, which is ironic considering how big a role it plays in all my stories. I'm much more of a tea person, hence the nervous breakdown I almost had when I went to visit a friend in the US several years ago, and they lacked both a kettle _and_ a tea pot! **

" **Just boil it in a pan on the stove and pour it in a mug."**

 **Coeur froths at the mouth.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 52**

* * *

Things were changing.

Change was inevitable, or so they said. It especially was where Cinder was involved since she had plans to make a lot of changes in the future – changes like who was headmaster of Beacon, the student population of Beacon or the very existence of Beacon. In a very real way Cinder was an agent of change, and that made Emerald an agent of change as well.

Or maybe a subcontractor of change.

A minion of change?

It didn't really matter. Emerald _liked_ change. Always had. Ever since Cinder changed her life by taking her off the streets and giving her a purpose worth talking about. It wasn't a _good purpose_ , even by her standards, but it was a purpose. It was someone who could look at her and smile, pleased with what she'd accomplished. It was someone to aspire to impress and someone who could praise her for a job well done.

Emerald wasn't loyal to the cause; she was loyal to Cinder. More loyal than Mercury at least, though that was fairly obvious seeing as how their recruitment of the guy had literally just been rocking up to his house while it was burning down. There hadn't been a `join us or else` from Cinder, but the implication was there. Mercury had always been surly but eager enough to justify his continued existence. He was messed up and probably a sociopath but that also made him predictable.

"Until now. What is he thinking?" Emerald asked the words out loud, glaring past Neo to watch as her partner snuck up on the small figure in red, fully within sight of her team but with the team purposefully not calling him out.

Mercury linked his hands over her eyes and whispered something into her ear.

And then he was whispering something into the floor, face down as the girl turned into a hurricane of red petals, standing on the bench with a bright red face pointing down at Mercury and howling in embarrassment. Her team howled as well, though not quite in sympathy.

 _Idiot. Doesn't he see she wants nothing to do with him?_

What was the point, too? Their mission was to blend in, and she supposed he was doing that, but she was the one who was meant to befriend those four. Having Mercury take her place smacked of a lack of faith, and ought to have earned Cinder's ire.

"Hm?" Cinder looked over, not really paying attention and feeding a carrot to Snowfall. "Mercury? I suppose he is amusing himself. It hardly matters." Her answer given, her focus stolen, Cinder turned back to her lap.

The pup munched happily on the carrot, and although it looked silly Emerald knew carrots were good for a growing dog. How did she know? Because Cinder had hammered the knowledge into her head so she could serve a _dog_ like a good little slave when Cinder was busy.

The old Cinder would have berated her for allowing Mercury to do her job. Even if the end-result was achieved, she would have been upset to see Emerald and Mercury not fulfilling it to the absolute letter, much like it had been with Tukson. Her instructions had been for _Roman_ to kill Tukson, and the two of them had been punished for doing it for him.

Cinder had changed.

And for once, Emerald wasn't sure she liked it.

"What should I do?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Cinder brought the end of the carrot away and picked up a slice of chicken. "Good boy," she said. "Now you've eaten your vegetables you can have some protein."

Snowfall made a happy little bark and munched away. Every person not a monster within a good twenty metre radius made a contented little "awww" sound, all but ignoring their own food to watch the display.

Miss Goodwitch was watching as well, and somehow not enforcing discipline on the `no pets` rule Beacon held. Then again, Emerald knew Team RWBY had a dog as well. It had taken to growling and snarling at Mercury, which made it Emerald's favourite animal in Beacon. Not hard, seeing how she despised the fluffy little runt in Cinder's lap.

"My job was to befriend Team RWBY," she reminded Cinder. "Mercury is doing that." A loud bang and a laugh. "For a certain definition of `befriend` anyway. What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing."

Nothing. Nothing at all. Emerald bit her lip.

"Are you sure?" Cinder _hated_ idleness. There had always been something, some further step, some extra mile she wanted them to go. "What about Nikos' team? From what I've seen she sticks to a small group of friends outside it. I can try to infiltrate those."

"If you wish to."

"I… No, Cinder, I was asking if you wanted me to."

"I have no preference either way." Cinder used a napkin to wipe her dog's mouth, then demanded one paw after the other, wiping those dry as well. Content, she stroked his head, letting the thing yawn and go to sleep on her knees. "We already know her Semblance and little more is needed. Close relations with Team RWBY was always just to make sure they didn't get in our way more than wanting something from them. Let Mercury handle it. He seems to be doing a well enough job."

And now he was earning praise meant for her. And without caring for it in the slightest. Emerald's eyes clenched shut and she took a deep breath. "There has to be something," she said, almost begging. "Anything. I can help. I can be useful."

Cinder thought.

"Well. There is something I need…"

Her heart soared. "Yes!?"

/-/

"That'll be hundred and fifty lien. Need a bag?"

"No."

"Want any toys to go with it?"

Emerald glared at the young man. "No."

"Just the one-fifty, then."

Lien exchanged hands, tills were rung, and receipts were printed. Emerald snatched it off him and stuffed it in her pocket, hauling up the bag of premium dog food – probiotic for healthy digestion and designed for puppies from eight weeks to eight months – onto her shoulder.

"Have a nice day!" the man called, the door making a loud electronic beep as she pushed outside.

This hadn't been what she'd had in mind when she asked to be useful. Sent out into Vale to collect dog food for that blasted mutt. Oh, how the mighty had fallen. _And in the end, this is all I'm good for. Adam can bring his legions of fanatics, Mercury can befriend those idiots, Roman can secure all the dust in Vale, and I'm stuck ferrying supplies for a dog._

Cinder would thank her for it, but it wouldn't be the same. Anyone with two working arms and legs could do this, which meant she wasn't securing _her place_ at Cinder's side anytime soon. This was grunt work.

Shifting the bag of food into a more comfortable position before her, she picked her way through the crowds in the mall and down the stairs, out into Vale proper. It was hot and busy, especially so since she was by the biggest shopping mall in the city. Grumbling, she had to elbow ignorant locals out the way – and worse, tourists there for the Festival. If the crowds had been bad before, they were downright evil now.

Someone bumped into her from behind. "Oi! Watch it!" she snapped.

"Sorry."

Someone else hit her from the front, head turned to the side and talking to someone beside them. They muttered an apology without looking at her – and without backing away. They kept pushing, determined to walk _through_ her as if she didn't exist. Had she not a heavy weight to deal with she might have tripped them up. As it was, she stumbled and staggered to the left.

Her foot pushed down, looking for purchase. What it _found_ was a sudden lurching drop where the pavement gave way to a cycle path. Expecting to find solid ground, she stumbled when her foot kept going down, toppling sideways with a startled yell.

At least four people looked at her as she fell like a cut tree.

Two of those could have probably caught her.

The bag of food hit the tarmac first, breaking her fall. Her face, shoulders and chest hit it a moment later, driving pressure down into the bag and causing the air within to rush to the top and bottom. They split with a loud pop, followed by a whoosh and a tinkling noise as all the dog kibble within flowed out of the bag like a fountain.

A screech of brakes followed a bike swerving around and passed her. The rider yelled something back. Two more came and went, ringing their bells aggressively, as though she'd chosen to take a nap in the middle of the path. People on the footpath walked by, talking to themselves, into scrolls or occasionally sparing her the kind of looks that said they didn't understand why a girl was just laying on the path like that.

Angry tears stung at her eyes. When was the last time she'd actually cried? Had she, ever? She punched a fist down, crunching kibble beneath her knuckles. Fuck Vale. Fuck it with all the White Fang and Grimm in the world.

Things had changed and she hated it.

"Emerald? Is that you?"

A _tikk-tokk_ sounded nearby as a pair of crutches stepped down off the pavement, their little rubbery stuffs on the bottom crunching some more kibble beneath them. The figure between knelt and a hand landed on her shoulder. Jaune Arc rolled her over, looking down with a surprised expression on his dumb face.

"Trust the only person to actually help me to be a cripple…"

"Hah." Far from offended, he laughed. "Yeah. You'd think someone would have cared enough to ask if you were okay." He said the last bit loudly, drawing a few guilty expressions and the hurrying of feet. Idiots. And he was an idiot as well for being so passive-aggressive. Then again, he wasn't trained so being fully aggressive wasn't something h could afford.

She let him help her up, even if she didn't need it. Picking up the bag, she scowled as the remaining kibble inside slid around and drained out the end, pooling on the pavement.

"Bad day?" he asked.

"No."

He looked at her. Really looked, and not in the way those walking by did.

Emerald sighed. "Actually, yes. A really shitty day."

"Want a cup of coffee?"

"Isn't it your day off?" she asked, nodding down at his jeans and shirt.

"I was talking about a coffee in there." He nodded to the mall. "I can't promise it'll be as good as mine, but it'll be less of a walk." He looked down to the spilled dog food. "And it looks like you need to do a little shopping anyway."

Another bag. Unless she wanted to come back empty handed and show she was so useless she couldn't even procure a bag of dog food. There was another problem, however, and her face burned.

"I-I can't afford another."

Premium dog food wasn't cheap. Cinder had given her the money and it wasn't like she'd come out with enough to buy two or more.

"I'll buy it for you. And drinks."

/-/

For someone who lived, breathed and served coffee, there was something ridiculous about watching Jaune sit down, place a cup in front of her and then sip his ice-slush-bright-blue thing. It was one of those slushie drinks kids drank.

"The coffee here not good enough for you?"

"More like I'm sick of the smell of it. Though I do like these caramel waffle things they do."

Hm. She did as well. Nibbling on the corner of one she thanked being a huntress for meaning she could eat ten and expect all the calories to be worked off. No one ever talked about that part of being a huntress, how you could eat whatever the hell you wanted and get away with it. A decent huntress needed about four thousand calories a day if they didn't want to start breaking down muscle mass.

"So, Cinder has you out fetching dog supplies. How did that happen?"

"I wanted to be useful. My mistake in offering. The people here are bastards by the way."

"It's the festival. It has everyone in a weird mood. Drinking early, wandering aimlessly and taking pictures of everything. I walked past two people arguing who would win in a fight – Pyrrha Nikos or Weiss Schnee. It looked like they were about to start a fight themselves."

"Tch. Idiots. Nikos would win hands down."

Jaune sighed.

"And I blame you, you realise," she said, pointing at him.

"For Pyrrha fighting Weiss?"

"No. For the dog. It's your fault Cinder bought it."

"I…" He paused. "I guess I can't argue against that one. Is it really that big a problem? Are you allergic?"

"No…"

"Then what's the issue?"

Emerald shrugged and had a long drink, using the action to dodge the question. What was the problem? Jealousy mostly. While it wasn't that she wanted to be sleeping on Cinder's lap being stroked, she did hate how her attention had been stolen away. And the dog wasn't even being useful like she was. All it did was sleep, eat and poop everywhere.

"Why do this?" she asked instead. "Why offer to replace the food I lost? Am I some charity case?"

"What? No!"

"Then why?"

"Because… well, because I owe you."

Emerald frowned at him. "Since when?"

"Since you taught me how to use my aura," he said, grinning at her. "Cinder may have been the one to unlock it, but you taught me how to push it to the right spots. Remember?"

Huh. So she had. She'd honestly forgotten.

"I'd be dead if it wasn't for that. Some dog food is a small price to pay."

It was easier to understand than him having some asinine `helping people` thing. She'd have thrown up at that. Still taken him up on it of course, since she wasn't about to go back empty-handed, but she'd have been suspicious the whole time. People weren't nice for no reason.

But this, this made sense. He owed her a favour and had come across her in a tough spot. It was good luck on his side he got to even the scales so cheaply.

"Fair enough," she said. "You got off easy, all things considered."

"If there's any other way I can pay you back, just let me know."

"Take that dumb dog away?" she asked, without really meaning it. "No? Then it's fine. I'll just have to put up with the stupid thing."

Jaune sighed. "Do you really hate it that much?"

"Hate has nothing to do with it. It's… You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

Emerald eyed him. "Thinking of being my psychiatrist all of a sudden?"

"Not really. I just feel responsible since, like you said, it's my fault Cinder bought it. Is she making you do all the hard work?"

"Not really."

"Is it chewing on your stuff?"

"No." It wasn't like she could actually tell him what it _was_ doing. "Forget I said anything."

"Is it distracting Cinder from being a proper team leader?"

"No-" She bit her lip. "Maybe."

That was a remarkably good excuse. Also a dangerous one. Did she tell him? If he told Cinder, she would be in real trouble, even if she didn't give anything away. Then again, Cinder wanted to find out once and for all whether this guy knew anything. Maybe if she went above and beyond today and found out for sure, Cinder would be impressed and realise how useful she was again.

Emerald leaned forward. "How do I know you won't tell Cinder anything I say?"

"Why would I? What would I gain from it? Cinder wouldn't give me anything for telling and you'd be angry at me. I don't think it would be worth it."

He made a lot more sense than she'd expected of a normie, someone who hadn't lived on the streets or had to put up with the harsher side of things. Then again, weighing the benefits of an action wasn't exactly a rare skill. What would he gain? Absolutely nothing. And he stood to lose a lot since she'd take her anger out on him if he told anyone.

"Cinder is all distracted by the mutt," she said. "She isn't focusing on things like she used to."

"Team things?"

"Sure."

"What like…?"

"Ah, well." Examples. She needed examples. "Mercury for one. He's being weird lately, spending time away, being secretive. Flirting with that Ruby girl."

Jaune leaned forward. "Yeah, about that. Does he actually like her or is he playing with her?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Yeah, she could see his frustration there. Looked like the girl having her heart played with was a sore spot for him. Good on him, she supposed. "Merc used to flirt with me all the time but not like that. It's hard to tell if he's serious or not."

"Does it upset you that he doesn't flirt with you anymore?"

Emerald stared at him, mouth falling open. The sickening shade of green that spread across her face must have said it all.

"I'll take that as a no."

"Yes. Hell no! That guy. Ugh. No, I don't want his attention on me." Sociopathic half-a-man that he was. Jealousy toward him was the last thing on her mind. Just jealousy toward a dog. Damn, but that sounded worse. "I couldn't care less if he bangs that girl or not, but the point is Cinder wouldn't let him get away with that normally."

"Is that a problem, though? I mean, if you don't care about him…"

"That's just one example. It's the same with everyone on the team. She doesn't pay attention to us anymore."

"To you?"

Emerald shrugged. "I said everyone on the team, didn't I?" And now she felt like an idiot. "Ugh. Let's just go get this stupid dog food. If I'm gone too long, she's going to start thinking I'm completely useless."

He finished his drink and stumbled after her, physically doing so as he forgot his crutches for a moment. She had to wait for him to catch the table and go back, then keep her pace slow as he swung himself after her. They took the escalator up to the second floor where the pet shop was.

"It's the same place I took Cinder to," he said.

Oh, goodie. Emerald rolled her eyes and ignored the cashier as they entered. All the little animals inside barked, meowed, chirped or chittered at her. She walked past, to the back end of the store where stacks and stacks of huge bags of dog and cat food lay.

"I was pretty much out of ideas," he continued. "I was trying to cheer her up and failing on everything. I guess Cinder isn't like a normal person."

"You can say that again. Cheering her up, though. Why?"

"She looked upset."

Cinder? He was either an incredible judge of character or psychic. It was hard to tell when Cinder was in a bad mood – unless that mood was anger, in which case it was _way too easy_ to tell. And something to be avoided.

"And the first thought to enter your head was taking her to a pet shop."

"Actually, no. It wasn't even on the list."

Curious, and willing to scratch a few of her own ideas off the list of places she might try and take her and Cinder to if she had the chance, she asked where he _had_ taken her to.

"I tried the park. A cinema. Shopping at the mall…"

What the hell. Was he trying to cheer her up or date her? She'd have been upset if he didn't look so clueless. No wonder Cinder was getting mixed messages on whether he knew about them or not. He didn't seem to know what he was doing.

"Why those places?"

"It's where me and my sisters used to go…"

 _Yeah, idiot. Family. It's a little different when you take someone else there._ It didn't surprise her Cinder hadn't been enthused. She never struck her as one for romance. "Nothing worked, then?"

"Nothing. A music store a little down caught her eye but that only led to worse stuff. I was making her more miserable than she had been before we started." He balanced on his crutches and ran a hand through his hair, honestly managing to look guilty at the memory alone.

Music, though? She hadn't thought Cinder the type.

"How did the pet store come into it?"

"Desperation, I guess. We were walking back, me panicking like an idiot, and I just noticed her pause to look in the window. It was the closest thing I'd seen to interest from her all day."

And he just went with it. Emerald nodded, able to buy that. Blind luck was not only reasonable explanation but one that pleased her, since it meant he hadn't been able to figure something out about Cinder that she herself hadn't. He'd just stumbled on it. She couldn't blame him for giving in, either. If she'd been in his shoes, she'd have jumped on the first sign of enjoyment from Cinder too.

"What happened then?"

"I made an excuse about buying Ruby's dog a toy and left her to look around. When I came back it was… well, I'm not sure I should say."

Something embarrassing, then. Something also quite cute if the look on his face was anything to go by. Emerald felt an irrational spike of anger but pushed it down. Cinder liked him, and that made him as good as invulnerable to someone like her.

"I didn't expect her to buy the dog. She acted like she wasn't going to. She must have waited until I was gone and then come back. I wonder why she didn't buy it in front of me?"

Emerald didn't. Something like that was a weakness, even if it was someone strong like Cinder doing it. Instincts and paranoia prevented people like them from showing weakness to people they weren't sure they could trust. Or control. Cinder was fine doing so around them because she could kill them if they acted out. Roman and Neo as well.

"Maybe she wasn't sure," Emerald said, buying Cinder an excuse. "Life of a huntress isn't great for raising a pet."

"I guess so. It's not a decision to make lightly. Is that the dog food?"

"Yeah." Emerald rolled her eyes and stopped him when he leaned down for it. "How about the person _not_ currently on crutches carries this?"

"Oh, right." He blushed and laughed. "I keep forgetting."

They headed over to the till with her behind him, only for her to stop when he did. They were in front of an aisle with dog toys on it.

"Want to get something? I'll pay."

Why would she? The dog wasn't hers and she could barely stand it for taking Cinder's attention away. The last thing she wanted to do was _reward_ it for that. He wasn't budging, though, and she couldn't walk around him.

"What about this?" he asked, holding up a knotted rope in a figure-eight. "It's for tugging. You hold one end and it does the other and you play tug-of-war."

"I've already been reduced to fetching food for the thing. I'm not being demoted to its playmate."

"Reduced to…?" Jaune winced. "Hey, I'm sure she still respects you. What makes you say she doesn't?"

Was he an idiot? Yes, obviously. That had already been established. Even with what he didn't know, he should have been able to tell this wasn't huntress work. "Cinder could have ordered this online and had it delivered. Instead, I'm sent out like a useless busy body to fetch it for her. It's like she doesn't trust me to do anything important. Like I'm useless to her."

In all her time serving Cinder, she'd never been so useless. So casually tossed aside.

"I don't think it's like that."

"You wouldn't," she grumbled. "You're one of those idiots who only sees the best in people."

"That… That's not entirely true." He buckled under her raised eyebrow. "And not wrong, either. But I mean, if she really didn't trust you then she wouldn't have sent you out for this. Would she? You already said Snowfall means the world to her. Buying food for him is important to her."

"It's grunt work."

"Would she trust any random person with the job?"

"No," she admitted. Cinder was paranoid like that. "She would come herself."

"Then isn't it a sign of how much she trusts you that she sent you in her place?"

Was it? Emerald considered the fact, annoyed at how she couldn't say yes or no conclusively. Trust was a nebulous thing for them, and she didn't think Cinder _trusted_ any of them. She trusted that she could kill them if they acted out, and that bought them some favour, but it wasn't the same.

Still, he wasn't wrong. There were few people she trusted to actually look after Snowfall. Mercury wasn't even on the list. He was set to pick up crap and watch over him, but strict instructions set _her_ as the only one allowed to take him for walks.

She'd thought that a punishment. What if it wasn't? Mercury was an idiot and you'd have to be a moron to trust a living creature to his care. Was Cinder just being pragmatic? Even so, didn't that mean she, in some small way, trusted Emerald with the care of something precious to her? Something far more important emotionally than Roman or stolen dust ever could be?

"Maybe it would be a chance for you and Cinder to bond, too."

Emerald's head snapped in his direction. "What?"

"Over shared interests," he said, waving the knotted rope. "I mean, the closest I ever got to a smile out of her – a real one – was when we were in here. If I ever had to cheer her up again, I'd definitely bring her back. Or involve Snowfall in anything we did."

That was a given. He had found a chink in Cinder's armour of indifference, so it only made sense to capitalise on that.

"Are you suggesting I _use_ the dog?"

"Uh. Not `use` it. I mean, it's what she likes, isn't it? Maybe it'd be easier for you to express your concerns if you're doing it when she's more relaxed. And if she's relaxed when she's playing with Snowfall, why not get involved?"

That was… That was both childishly simplistic and possibly brilliant. Of course, she'd never actually express her concerns with Cinder or the dog. That would be madness. But she could use it another way, couldn't she? Use the dog to get closer to Cinder. Back into her graces.

 _Cinder already trusts me to look after him. If I make myself even more invaluable to her, she'll have no choice but to trust me more._ And if there was one thing that occupied Cinder's attention now, it was the dog. The feeding this morning had been a sickening display that had her stomach turning, but what if she'd been involved in it as well?

She imagined the pup on Cinder's lap, her reaching over to feed it some chicken. Cinder smiled at her, petting its head as Emerald fed it. She would look up. No words would pass between them, but their eyes would meet, and Cinder would nod. A silent understanding would pass between them, and Mercury could bugger off and do whatever he wanted so long as he wasn't intruding on their moment.

In their rooms, too. What if she and Cinder played with Snowfall together?

What if Snowfall came to love her?

In a way, he was like a child to Cinder. Wasn't it well established that a good way to get closer to someone was to befriend their children first? Didn't dog walkers often meet at parks to share tales, get to know one another, slowly becoming closer and closer until they became even more? Emerald eyed the nearby displays.

Did she need to buy a dog?

 _No. Let's not go too far now. I need… I need to know more about dogs._

"Emerald?" Jaune waved a hand in front of her face. "Hello, Emerald? Hello?"

She caught his hand.

He jumped.

She stared him down. "You owe me. Correct?"

"Uh. Yeah? Why?"

"I need…" She swallowed her bile. "I would like to _request_ to borrow some money from you."

/-/

Cinder was in their room. Mercury was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Neo, but then she didn't really care about her. Cinder was on her knees rubbing the belly of her little dog. Emerald bit back on the instinctive surge of jealousy, reminding herself she had a plan.

"You're back. That took longer than expected."

"I ran into Jaune."

"Oh? Is he doing well?"

"On crutches now, so I guess he's recovering."

"That's good. Did you procure the food I requested?"

"I did." Emerald set the bag down in the corner of the room, watching Cinder's reaction as she inspected it. It was the correct brand and type to the letter, and since she was paying attention, she saw the pleased nod Cinder gave her.

"I notice you have another bag with you. Some shopping?"

"Something like that." Moment of truth, she supposed. Emerald sat down, earning a raised eyebrow from Cinder. She'd never bothered to sit on the floor with Snowfall before. Even the little ball of fluff was interested, rolling up onto its feet and coming over to investigate. "No," she said gently, pushing it away from the plastic bag. "Be patient."

Cinder watched her carefully but didn't intervene.

Out came a purple ball. Not a small one by any means, but one almost as big as the dog itself. It had little holes on the sides, along with a screwcap on top. Beside it, she brought out a bag of nutritious doggy treats.

Curious, Cinder looked up at her.

"I-I was thinking how he doesn't get much activity while we're in lessons. This is for making feeding time into play." Nervously, she showed Cinder how it worked, Snowfall lurching up onto her wrist to peer down at it with her. "You put the biscuits in here and screw it shut. They rattle around inside as Snowfall rolls it, then some tumble out the holes in the bottom if he makes it roll over them."

"Interesting." Cinder eyed her and then the ball. "And this is useful how?"

Emerald swallowed. "It's for building intelligence and entertainment. We know he gets destructive when he's left on his own. This'll make food last and keeps him engaged while we're in lessons. It also teaches him problem solving and he'll be less upset."

At least, that was what the packaging promised. The store owner had showed her and Jaune had to use it and it made sense. All the booklets she'd hurriedly leafed through promised as much.

"The treats are healthy, too," she promised. "I looked over the ingredients and they're full of vitamins and minerals. It's for puppies as well. Not adult treats. I know they're different."

"They are," Cinder acknowledged. "Different balances for puppies versus adults."

"I checked with this, and it should work with the kibble as well. And making them eat slower helps with digestion. It can prevent choking, too."

"I see." Cinder looked at her face again and then cupped her chin. "That could be convenient. Snowfall _does_ tend to wolf his food down in the mornings."

Relief crashed down on her. "Yeah! I-I asked the store guy and he said it's better if they eat slower. I can… I can show you how it works if you like?"

"Hm. Very well."

Feeling a little more confident, she unscrewed the top and ran through the instructions. She and Jaune had practised with it for a few moments. "You don't want to put too much in, or it can pop open. If it rattles, he'll be more interested." Emerald gave it a shake for emphasis and Snowfall fulfilled his part perfectly, sitting up tall with his ears perked. His head tilted to the side.

"Oh." Cinder chuckled. "He's interested."

 _Yes! Good boy! For once._

"And then you roll it like so." Emerald gave it a little push, hoping he'd catch the game. He did. The ball of fluff hopped after it, batting the ball with both paws and chasing it around the room. He made angry little sounds as he tried to bite it, found it far too big, and then proceeded to chase it over the floor.

Whenever it dropped a small treat he would pause and pick it up, crunching it between his little jaws before rushing after the ball again. To her surprise, he was intelligent enough to catch on and began to move it in different directions, trying to discover which way gave him food.

Cinder watched him with a smile.

"And that's how it works," Emerald said.

"Deceptively simple." Her face turned, eyes fixing on hers. Her breath caught for a moment. "Thank you, Emerald. I think this will be very useful indeed, especially if it keeps him entertained when we can't be here."

Emerald sat a little taller. Useful. It would be useful. And she was the one who had brought the idea to Cinder's attention, even if Jaune helped a little. It wasn't the same as being _given_ a task to complete, but she'd found a way to be of service.

"I just wanted to help."

"Thank you." Cinder nodded once. That was all, but it _felt_ genuine. It was impossible to tell but deep inside Emerald believed it might actually be just that. A pleasant warmth spread through her stomach. "If you're willing, I could use your help with him. He's quite the troublemaker."

"Happy to help. What do you need?"

"I wanted to wash him in the shower. The last time I tried, however, it proved…" Cinder sighed. "Problematic. It might be easier with two of us, especially if you could hold him still while I wash him."

Just her and Cinder, washing a puppy together in the shower?

"Will we get wet?"

"Almost certainly. We may want to strip down a little."

Why did she hate this adorable little bundle of love and joy again? She couldn't quite remember. Such a cute and fluffy way into Cinder's good graces – and it was even looking up at her with big round eyes. Emerald picked it up, adjusting it against her chest as Cinder watched, no doubt checking her to make sure she wasn't about to harm the dog she called her own. It panted stupidly against her.

/-/

"Hey, sorry I'm late. I had a homework session with Team RW-"

Emerald giggled like the little girl she wasn't.

Snowfall was up on his hind legs, forepaws on her chest, licking furiously at her chin.

"-BY… Okay, what the fuck."

Neither Cinder nor Emerald answered, both too busy playing with the dog to notice his return. That alone was a miracle since Em couldn't stand the thing normally. If it tried to lick her like it was now, she'd have booted it out the window.

Oh wait, Cinder was watching. Watching and smiling indulgently, in a way she never normally did with them. And if he didn't mistake his guess, yep – Emerald was looking back, and was red in the cheeks.

He looked over to the only sane person in the room for confirmation.

Neo held up one hand, pointed to Emerald, the dog, made a heart shape between her fingers, then finally pointed to Cinder and vigorously pushed her finger through a hole made between the finger and thumb of her other.

Mercury sent back his own sign language. A solid thumbs up.

 _So, the little thing is playing matchmaker. That's new._

Matchmaker, huh? Come to think of it, Ruby had a dog too, didn't she?

Now _that_ was an idea.

* * *

 **Oh God, Ruby. Even when you don't suffer, you suffer. This chapter certainly isn't as deep or impactful as the last, but then not everyone has such a messed up and potentially awesome conflict like Blake and Adam do.**

 **And I would have** _ **loved**_ **to have Adam with his SDC Branding on his face for that, but I wrote Adam in this story before his face was revealed, and I wrote his face as unscarred. A damn shame since the brand was one of the few things I really loved in the latest series. They didn't do much with it sadly, but I loved the** _ **potential**_ **it had.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 10** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


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